Week Eight - Bottomless Bowls

Spurgeon said, "We bring bowls to the altar that have no bottoms, and if the treasure should be put in them, it would fall through."

That's crazy imagery. But he's talking about prayer.

We hold up our bowl (prayer) to God, but because we have no idea what we need or our prayers are so general that they have no substance, the bowl is bottomless. If God were to give us a treasure, we would not be able to hold it.

We do not ask for what we truly need; we resist opening our necessities before the Lord, thinking we pray selfishly. I've even heard people say, "I should never pray for myself." That's foolish. Who better to pray for than the one you know most and know the necessity or need? God wants to hear from you and about you because He loves you.

If you come to prayer thinking you can hide your needs or sins from God, that is also foolish. He knows your needs and sees your fears and even your sins. There is no reason to fear talking with Him about these things. Honesty puts a bottom in your bowl, making it possible to lift your hands for mercy and find that grace to help in times of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

Spurgeon says, "See thyself as bankrupt, weak, sick, dying, and this will make thee plead. See thy necessities deep as the ocean, broad as the expanse of heaven. This will make thee cry. There will be no restraining of prayer, beloved when we have a due sense of our soul's poverty; but because we  think we are rich and increased in goods, and we have need of nothing, therefore it is that we restrain prayer before God."

So, pray for yourself, your needs, fears, and concerns. Humble yourself and recognize that you need spiritual treasure from Him - come with that errand, and He will answer. And pray for others. Be that intercessor, that warrior fighting with bold faith, and your prayers won't be bottomless.

"We fail in prayer when we come without an errand, not having thought of what our necessities are," Spurgeon says, But "if we have reckoned up that we need pardon, justification, sanctification, preservation; that besides the blessing of this life, we need that our decaying graces should be revived. . . then coming with an errand we should speed before the Most High."

Friend, come before the throne ready and prepared to receive. Don't come without an errand. Come with a purpose, a holy reverence, and an honest desire to hear from God and receive from His hand.

Week Seven - Love's Challenge

I'm from the era when movies ended happily ever after, where families on TV portrayed healthy interaction, things always worked out for good, and childhood innocence was protected. 

Today, these things are seen as naive or too simple, not the honesty of life. Instead, we are bombarded with harsh realities, family breakdowns, expected failure, and open exploitation. How can we love those around us when evil lurks at every corner and the cold realities of life invade?

I guess it depends on where you begin. If you look at this world from where it is, things look bleak. But if you take your stance using the eyes of Christ, love is still challenging, but He makes it possible.

In Luke 6, Jesus gives us a lesson. "Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other, and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise."

Isn't that a challenge? To love those who hate you, pray for those who talk bad about you, and give to the undeserving? To enact the Golden Rule - do unto others as you would have them do unto you?

This is not the teaching of the world. This is the teaching of Christ and the expectation of every believer. It is the challenge of genuine Christian love. 

Christ continues His lesson with two more phrases we should seriously consider. Luke 6:35 says, "For he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." What? Be kind to those who are ungrateful and downright evil? Yes! God is good to all, even the undeserving. And then, Christ tells us why. "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:36). 

Merciful? Yes! Love's challenge is remembering God's mercy showered upon us through Christ and then being examples and conductors of that mercy to others. 

How can that be done without showing love and patience to others? If they do not see love and mercy coming from us, how can we say we are lifting up Christ before them? What is the challenge of love if we only love ourselves and our own? The world does that much. (Luke 6:32-34) As a matter of fact, sometimes they outdo us in showing mercy. Let's not be guilty of failing to follow Christ's example. 

Let's accept the challenge and see if God doesn't use us to soften the harsh realities of life through the spreading of His Word and the use of His loving servants to a world desperately in need of Him.

Week Six - Overlooking the Madness

Only a few weeks into 2025, and we already have huge tracts of land in California burnt to a crisp. The homes of celebrities gone up in the fire, people without jobs due to the devastation, the folks in North Carolina struggling with the cold, Florida covered in snow, a huge shift with the change of leadership in the USA, and a host of other disasters and political turmoil around the world. Who could ever say life is boring?

The madness of the world around us is enough to keep our heads spinning and our hearts full of anxiety, except for one overriding truth - God is still in control.

That might sound simplistic, but it is not. It is the foundation of our faith and the truth to which all will answer. We may find it hard to reconcile ourselves with God knowing about all this madness and seemingly doing little about it, but then, we have only to look back at history and realise this earth has always been mad, but that does not deter God from His appointed purpose or promise and the foretold end of all things.

To be angry with God or question Him is futile. Spurgeon writes, "All forces are at God's disposal from the heavenly lightning and thunder, hurricanes and tornadoes, down to pestilence of worms, flies, and caterpillars, all are at His command. To war against Him is madness, and to serve Him is glory."

The eyes of faith overlook the world's madness to the eternal promises of God. He will never destroy the earth by flood. He will never leave or forsake us. His thoughts toward us are for good, and He will remain faithful to His Word until the end. Doesn't that sound like a less stressful place compared to the madness around us?

The world is spinning to its end; there is no doubt about that. Every day brings us closer to the return of Christ, and our part is not to flay about in fear and anxiety but to be prepared and watching. Pin your hope and trust in God, and everything else falls into better perspective.

Be about your Father's business while it is yet day, that is His instruction to us. God knows all that's happening, and He is still in control!

Week Five - Ouch

The other day, I walked into the corner of a countertop, resulting in a deep bruise that lingered for several days. I am being more careful now! Bruises are evidence of contact with another object, and I definitely made contact with that countertop.

Bruises in life are the same. They are evidence of contact with another object and sometimes leave evidence behind.

1 Peter 1:6 reads, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations."

The word through does not mean a place and time. It means we are in the problem. It could read, "heaviness in or by manifold temptations." These things leave their mark, but Peter tells us to rejoice during those times. 

I didn't rejoice when my leg connected with that countertop, but my bruise lasted only a season. It didn't stop me from getting on with life. And most of the bruises we experience, whether physical, spiritual, or emotional, are the same. They only last for a while, leaving no enduring mark once they are past.

But some bruises do make a mark. They change our thoughts, relationships, and sometimes even our future.

Spurgeon comments about the bruises of life, saying, "It is that breaking down of the spirit, that pulling down of the strong man, that is the every fester of the soreness of God's scourging - 'the blueness of the wound, whereby the soul is made better.'"  

He is quoting Proverbs 20:30, which reads, "The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly." A bruise heals; its blueness is the body's cleansing of the injury.

We don't like that breaking down of the spirit or the idea of weakness, much less God's correction, but these bruises make us stronger and better. They are necessary to our maturing and spiritual growth.

Spurgeon gives four reasons why heaviness, bruises, and temptations are necessary and often beneficial.

1. Through them, we learn the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. Our bruises will never be as great as His, but as we experience heaviness and suffering, we are linked with His suffering, the man who was in all points tempted as we are and yet overcame. Through Him, we, too, can be overcomers.

2. Pride and self-sufficiency are snipped in the bud when we experience heaviness during our troubles. A dose of humble pie goes a long way to keeping us kinder and sweeter. Only as we yield to God's hand in suffering do we understand our place and find contentment in it.

3. Through heaviness in manifold temptations, we often learn lessons we would not otherwise learn. In my life, depression taught me more than any years of happiness ever had. I still remember the lessons I learned and the God I came to know. Though it was a dark place and one I would not want to repeat, it was one of those "needed" places. I would not have developed as strong a relationship with my Saviour without going through the dark valley, so I rejoice in it now!

4. Hardships, bruises, and dark times increase our ability to sympathize and empathize with others experiencing similar valleys. These bruises make us better friends, parents, and even Christian workers. We can comfort and point each other to hope in Christ, hope that carried us through the valley and will carry them, too.

So, let's not fear the bruise. It holds God's purpose for our good. We can even rejoice because it is evidence that God is at work in our lives, cleansing, preparing, and humbling us for greater service. 

And next time you are close to a countertop - be careful!

Week Four - There's More Ahead

The book of Joshua has been my study since the first part of this year. I came to chapter eleven, which reads, "So Joshua took the whole land according to all that the Lord said unto Moses." The chapter lists 31 kings, and all the cities and areas now conquered. 

It sounds good to think they have conquered Canaan and are settled now on both the east and west sides of the Jordon, but then we come to chapter 13. Joshua is old, but God says, "There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed." God lists vast areas of land and kingdoms to the north, south, and further west of their current position still for the taking.

God knows there is much yet ahead of them. As a matter of fact, most of the rest of the book of Joshua lines out more of who gets what and how they divide up the land.

I got to thinking about the realization that all they had conquered was not enough--God had more. His promise was all the land of Canaan, not just enough for them to be satisfied with. But they had to conquer that land and do their part by believing in God's promise and acting upon it in faith.

How often are we guilty of settling for what we have? I'm not talking about being content but being expectant. We are to be content but also pressing forward. The two are not contradictory.

When we settle for what we have and grow complacent, we fail to claim our riches in Christ. When we rejoice and give thanks for what we have with the expectation of God's continued blessing, we get closer to what God is talking about.

God didn't want Israel to stop there - to settle with just enough. He wanted them to have the whole thing. And He wants us to have the whole thing! To know the fullness of His Spirit, to recognize His hand upon our lives, and to be overcomers!

God has more for us than we imagine. So why do we settle?  Laziness? Fear? Unsure about how to move forward? Tired of the battle? None of these excuses hold sway with God. He expects us to keep growing, keep following, and keep conquering.

His cry to us, as it was to the Israelites, is to be strong and courageous. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, "Quit you like men." It means to be venturous, to stand, to conquer. Let's continue forward into 2025, strong and courageous. There remaineth yet very much ahead.

PS - for me? Ahead is another devotional book called 50 More Bible Words. It is with the editor now. That will determine how much more work needs to be done, but I'm excited to think this may be ready for publication this year. Meanwhile, we are booked to teach in many places and continue serving the Lord.

Week Three - When Joy is Gone

What kills your joy? Trials, disappointments, fear of the future, debt, poor health? So many things come in life to challenge our joy and, sometimes, even kill it. But when joy is gone, we still have hope of its return. Why? Because joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and therefore, as we draw closer to the Spirit, He renews our joy despite our circumstances.

For my Bible reading, I read one chapter daily, and after I read, I create my own devotional commentary. Deuteronomy 12 was my reading the other day, and I noticed the word "rejoice" repeated. The children of Israel were to rejoice in all they put their hands to (vs. 7, 18) and rejoice before the Lord with their family and household (vs 12, 18). This rejoicing was based on their recognition of God's provision and directly linked to their obedience as they kept themselves away from the influences of the ungodly societies in Canaan land.

Innocence and purity hold great joy. When we experience the presence of evil, see it, read it, and participate in it, joy departs. Keeping ourselves unspotted by the world, according to James 1:27, is evidence of purity. So, if your joy is waning, this might be a good place to look first. Do you need to clean up your act and observe to do what God commands? Remember, the blessing is on the other side of obedience.

As I studied on that day, I came to another truth about joy. Trials do not inhibit joy because God's children know to run home when the storm comes. Poor old Job faced much affliction, but his prayer was not "Oh, that I might be healed, or even, O, that I might have my children and property restored. Job's cry was, "Oh, that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!" (Job 23:3). It is the spiritual instinct of God's children to seek shelter beneath His wings. 

Spurgeon said, "A hypocrite, when afflicted by God, resents the infliction and like a slave, would run from the Master who has scourged him; but not so the true heir of heaven, he kisses the hand which struck him, and seeks shelter from the rod in the bosom of the God who frowned upon him."

That's where the joy comes from, from the God of all comfort, the God who sees and desires to bless.

Spurgeon continues, "Turning away with bitter scorn from earth's hives, where we find no honey, but many sharp stings, we rejoice in Him whose faithful word is sweeter than honey or the honeycomb. In every trouble, we should first seek to realize God's presence with us. Only let's enjoy His smile, and we can bear our daily cross with a willing and joyful heart for His dear sake. Nothing teaches us so much the preciousness of the Creator as when we learn the emptiness of all besides.

So, when joy seems gone, examine your obedience and then run to your Saviour, the One who restores the joy of your salvation!

Week Two - World Shakers

Many people on social media, in the news, governments, and elsewhere are noticed as world shakers. And truly, some of them hold the potential to shake things up. On the other hand, we have less visible influence, but without us, without our underpinning, those folks would be nothing—they'd have no followers to impress!

Does that mean we have no voice, no responsibility, no influence? Hardly. What we do with our lives matters. There are qualities we need to emulate that will shake our world, qualities that create a better place to live and increase our effectiveness for Christ.

The first quality we need is courage. Stepping out by faith in the face of rejection takes courage. No one wants to be rejected or overlooked, and sometimes our paths are full of opposition, but the strong Christian takes heart. As they rejected Christ, so they will reject us. Let that not matter at all. Let our heart's desire be faithfulness, and courage will rise. 

We need unwavering trust in Christ. Paul said, "None of these things move me" (Acts 20:24). He wouldn't be deterred from trusting the Lord. He desires to be strong in faith, nothing wavering. "For the Lord Jehovah will help me; therefore have I not been confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame" (Isaiah 50:7).

We need a clean slate, no hidden sin. Our words and meditations must be pure; our actions and motivations sincere. Our lives must be upright to make a world-shaking difference for Christ.

The world shaker has complete confidence in the battle, knowing God is able and counts on God in advance. When you know you are where God wants you to be and doing what God has ordained for you to do, you can rest your confidence in Him. He promised to work on your behalf.

Another quality of a world shaker is contentment. You are content that you have the right message, the truth of God, and you rest there. Your life choices indicate contentment, and as you study and apply God's Word, you find even a deeper source of contentment.

Have you met anyone with these qualities? Do you marvel at them? Do they shake your perceptions? They should. 

You don't have to be on the public stage to be a world shaker. Your home and workplace are your platform. From there, you make a difference. And the more of us that set our hearts to this task, the greater the influence overall. 

Have courage, unwavering trust, purity, confidence, and contentment in the Lord, and He can use you to be a world-shaker in your realm.