LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, June 22, 2023

When I study God’s Word, one of my favorite things to do is to try to comprehend the richness of the vocabulary. Even though I never took any Greek of Hebrew classes in college, I love using the tools that are available to us today to uncover the treasures that are buried in the meanings of words. Here’s what I discovered as I read the twenty-sixth chapter of Isaiah verses three and four.

Isaiah 26:3-4  “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.”

• “You will keep…” the word keep means that God stands guard over our lives and watches everything about us to preserve and protect us. In the very next chapter Isaiah writes, “I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.” The Lord God is watching over us and guarding our lives. He is keeping us. Just like in the New Testament where Peter writes that we are “kept by the power of God unto salvation.”
• “In perfect peace…” The Hebrew word here means much more than a state of mind. It involves completeness of mind, body, and soul. It refers to health and financial provision. It relates to trustworthy relationships with God and with other people. It refers to safety from danger and protection from harm. We must always be careful to balance these promises with the truth that God also tests us, and we go through trials in life. But we must never, never minimize what this word means. God can and will bring us to perfect peace if we are completely trusting Him.
• “Whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts…” the word mind is interesting. It refers to a form or a framework. It is the word used of man when he is created by God from the dust of the earth and given a form. In addition to the physical framework, it also refers to the intellectual framework of ideas. All our thoughts are to be within the framework of God’s holiness and purpose. God has a framework for our lives, both physically and intellectually. We are told to be steadfast within that framework. The word there means to lean on, be supported by, and be refreshed. God’s framework for our lives is to be absolutely trusted. We are to be sustained by it. When our thoughts and activities are within that framework called God’s will, and we trust it completely to sustain every part of our lives, then we will be at perfect peace.

When we fully appreciate and apply the truths of that verse, we will be able to declare with the people in the land of Judah that “the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal and we can trust Him forever.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Here’s a stupid question (with apologies to my grandchildren for using the word stupid) – have you ever experienced a trying time in your life? Of course you have. You may be going through one right now. Our tendency is to want an explanation of how we got into this mess and how to get out of it. Was it our fault for a sinful choice we made, or was it someone else who sinned against us? What can I do to fix it? But maybe wee need to consider another question. How is God working on us to make us more like His Son Jesus?

Instead of analyzing how we got here and how to get out, we should be focusing on Who’s with us while were here. Some time ago a friend sent this story to me, and I was really blessed by it. I hope it helps you maintain your focus as you go through whatever trial or test you are currently in.

“A group of women was studying the book of Malachi and they came to the verse, “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”  (Malachi 3:3) They wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

“That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest to burn away all the impurities.

“The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot in thew context of the verse: “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.”

“She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy – when I see my image in it.”

–Author Unknown

God is holding on to you. Trust Him to refine and purify you until He can see His image in you.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Today is the birthday of my first son. I almost missed his birth. Denise delivered quickly that day, almost before she got to the delivery room. I was still filling out paperwork when I got the news that things were going fast. I told the intake nurse the paperwork would have to wait because my son wasn’t. I rushed upstairs, threw on a gown, and entered the room just in time for his appearance.

Someday, maybe very soon, there will also be an appearance of a Son. He is not rushing, but I wonder how many people will be when they hear He is coming. Or will you be one of the few that are prepared every day to greet Him when He arrives?

After all the prophecies of man’s judgment have been pronounced by Isaiah, the Lord announces one final victory against man’s pride and the political system he created to perpetuate it. In Isaiah 24 the Lord Jesus Christ destroys anything and everyone that stood opposed to Him and sets up His Kingdom on earth. (“for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem.” verse 23) As the people of the earth are brought to submission, suddenly a song breaks out from the ends of the earth. Jesus is being given honor and glory for His victory.

Isaiah 24:16  “From the ends of the earth we hear singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.”   

What a day that will be – the birth of the political Kingdom of God on earth in fulfillment of the spiritual kingdom that began when Jesus was on earth the first time. The glory of the True King will be seen in all the earth. Peace will arrive in the Prince of Peace. The Name of Jesus will be exalted throughout the earth. I can hear it now…

“He’s so powerful!” “He’s so righteous!” “He’s so just!” “He’s so faithful!”

But let’s hear it straight from God’s Word…

 “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

 “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,   for true and just are his judgments.”

“Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.
  Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”  

“To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”

“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

Let the singing begin!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Monday, June 19, 2023

Years ago our church family at Calvary outgrew its facility. We were cramped as we waited on God’s timing fora new building, so we made some changes that temporarily helped. The first thing we did was to rent additional office space and move our administrative offices out of the church. God directed us to a wonderful landlord who gave us an incredible deal on an office complex that not only served as our administrative hub but also as our youth center.

There were decisions to be made when we moved into the building, not the least of which was who would get which office. The welcome area was sufficient for the office administrator, and there was one small office that was perfect for the part-time staff. But which of the two large offices would the two pastors get?

As Pastor Dennis and I surveyed the two rooms, there was discussion about the pros and cons of each. The larger office had two windows on the front corner of the building. But it was located down a narrow hall right across from the restrooms. The smaller office was on the other side of the wall from the restrooms and had only one window. It was located right off the coffee break area and next to the youth center. Decisions, decisions.

As we looked at the offices, I regretfully remember my pride filtering to the top of the logic column. I am the Lead Pastor. I deserve the best office. Which one is the nicest? Which one matches my status? I fought those urges to make a decision based on those things. In my heart I wanted what was best for everyone so they could serve effectively for the Lord. But how would we decide?

At the same time we were looking at the new offices, a businessman from our church came to me and said that his company had some desks and chairs to donate and wondered if we could use them. The desks we had were very old metal things that were functional but not very professional. I said yes. He had the desks and chairs delivered to the new location while the decorating team from the church freshened up the place with new paint and decorations.

When we saw the desks for the first time, we began to evaluate how they would fit into the offices. The desk designs actually made the decision about offices for us. The desk I needed for the work I do would only fit in one office. That would be mine. Pastor Dennis would get the other one with his new desk. He got the office with the view. I got the office with the sounds of the bathroom through the wall. The decorating team recognized the problem and had beautiful sound panels built. They even let me pick out the fabric, which is covered with deer. I loved my office, and so did Dennis.

The point I want you to see today is observed as we compare the story I just told with the one in Isaiah 22. Shebna, an Egyptian, had been appointed the chief steward of the palace under the reign of King Hezekiah. He had high ambitions. He decided to make a name for himself and promote himself. He decided that his position in the King’s palace was worthy of special recognition – historical recognition. So, he had a tomb built for himself in the palace of the King. He wanted to be remembered and figured the best way to do that was to be buried with royalty. He was all about enhancing his own position. But it wasn’t God’s plan.

Isaiah 22:15-16  “This is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: “Go, say to this steward, to Shebna, who is in charge of the palace: What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a grave for yourself here, hewing your grave on the height and chiseling your resting place in the rock?”

What a contrast to the story of Joseph in Genesis, who as a Jew served in the palace of the Egyptian King, yet never sought to enhance his own position. He even went to prison to maintain his integrity. But not Shebna. He was all about self-exhaltation. But God saw his attempts at honoring himself and declared that it would end in humiliation. And it did. A short time later he was demoted to a secretary and replaced by Eliakim who served humbly as a follower of God.

We are all tempted to promote self. To some degree we are all urged by our fleshly desires to enhance our position in the eyes of people. We all struggle with pride that drives us to make decisions based on the benefits it will bring to us and the enhancement of our image. But we must fight those desires and be humble before God, considering others better than ourselves. Jesus said, “If any one of you wants to be first in the Kingdom of God, he must first become the servant of all.” After all, if we truly believe that in Christ our position has been fully established, then what else is there to enhance?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Friday, June 16, 2023

I try to avoid it. I intentionally stay away from it. I have found other things to meet my need for information without turning to it. I’m talking about the national media. I made the mistake of watching a little of it this morning and now I regret it. It made me angry because there is no honor anymore, and there certainly is no moral compass.

Day after day we are bombarded with news that is intentionally slanted to promote man’s agenda over God’s authority. I am reminded to be thankful that God is in control no matter how much man thinks he is and attempts to prove he’s worthy to be. “Praise be to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you with great joy and without fault before His glorious presence – to the only God our Savior be glory and majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! AMEN!” (Jude 24-25)

As I read through the book of Isaiah, I can almost begin to feel about it the way I do about the media. Here we are in the twenty-second chapter already and the news is still gloom and doom: chapter after chapter of man’s rebellion against God and His coming judgment of their sin. But with careful reading there are great truths to be discovered that can help us in our daily lives. Let me share one with you from today’s passage.

Isaiah 22:13  “But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! “Let us eat and drink,” you say, “for tomorrow we die!”

This chapter is a prophecy about the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians. It would take place in 586 B.C., some 125 years after Isaiah wrote it. I want you to notice these points about what is written:

• Isaiah is heartbroken over the sin of the people and the knowledge that God has every right and intention to discipline them. In verse four he writes, “Therefore I said, “Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people.” My first response to the tragedy of sin in people’s lives must be one of grief rather than anger. Anger in this case is prideful, plain and simple. When we respond with anger at another person’s sin, we are essentially judging them to our own prideful advantage. Think about that carefully. There is a place for anger against sin, but not until we have sufficiently wept over their Christ-less condition that has caused it.
• The people who are sinning are doing everything they can to defend their situation so they can continue in it. Here’s how the siege of Jerusalem is described:
• The Babylonians have surrounded them.
  • Their choicest valleys are filled with chariots of the enemy.
  • The cavalry is at the gates of the city.
  • The defenses of the city have been destroyed.
  • There are breaches in the walls.
• The response of the people is interesting. They are destroying everything they had built in the city to reinforce the walls. They are doing everything they can to protect the lifestyle they love. But that is not the response God wanted from them. He did not ask them to defend the city – it was futile for them to attempt it because He had brought it upon them as a consequence of their sin. There was only one way they could avoid the punishment – repentance.

God’s message to them was clear. “The Lord, the LORD Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth.” But they only wanted to protect the little world they had built for their own enjoyment. I see that played out every day in the media, in the lives of people all around me, and in me. We do everything we can to defend our positions so we can enjoy our preferred lifestyles. Then we turn to attacking anyone who speaks out against what we are doing. We truly are living in the last days when the messengers of truth from Jesus Christ will be persecuted as people defend their ungodly positions.

But the people do not repent. Instead, they planned one final party to satisfy the desires of their flesh. They had a chance to turn from their wicked ways and surrender to God in brokenness and humility. Instead, they chose to pursue their passions one last time. When they did, they sealed their fate. God said, “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for.” How sad. There is a point in man’s rejection of God when God declares them to be eternally rejected by Him. They have refused to surrender to the call of the Holy Spirit for forgiveness, and for this they cannot be forgiven.

God’s call of repentance goes out to you today. Turn from all pursuits of fleshly pleasure and prosperity and turn to Jesus Christ as the source of all life. Do not reject the One who gave His life to atone for your sin.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, June 15, 2023

I had just finished playing an eighth-grade basketball game. The rest of the members of the team and I were sitting in the bleachers watching the ninth-grade game. The cheerleaders for our grade came up the bleachers and sat with us. I was so nervous. I had my eye on one of them, and I was terrified when she came and sat down beside me. I had never been that close to someone that cute.

As we sat in the bleachers, doing the typical early teen flirting, the conversation turned to knee pads. Back in those days, it was cool to wear one knee pad when you played basketball. It was a symbol of your aggressiveness and your ability to play through pain. Well, I had injured both knees. I had a bone chip right below the kneecap on one, and the other one was bruised from a collision. I needed both of them protected, but I was the only one who wore two.

Before I go on, I want you to get a visual image of what I looked like back then. I’d send a picture if I had one. I’m sure my wife will think it’s funny to find one and post it to her Facebook page. In eighth grade I was the same height I am now – 5’ 11”. But I only weighed 125 pounds. I was so very skinny. I ate more than I do now, as hard to believe as that is, and I never gained weight.  My most prominent feature was my proboscis. I was nicknamed “Trumpet” in college. I was strong, but didn’t look it, and to an eighth-grade boy, appearance equaled value. As a result, I was very insecure.

So here we are, all of my basketball buddies and the cheerleaders, sitting in the stands, when during the conversation about kneepads the girl I liked turned to me and said, “So John, why do you wear two kneepads? Is it because your legs are so weak?”

Total humiliation.

I got up and left the gym, and I don’t think I ever talked to that girl again.

I’m sure you have a story or two of humiliation in your past as well. It’s not fun. We would never choose it intentionally…or would we? The prophet Isaiah did.

Isaiah 20:2  “At that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.”

Isaiah so completely trusted the Word of the Lord and the heart of his God that he publicly humiliated himself for three years so that the message of God could be delivered. That’s amazing.

So much of our time and energy is spent on creating good public image. Nowhere in public policy is the option of exaltation by process of humiliation. But that is God’s policy. We want others to see us when God wants others to see Him in us. If anyone wants to be exalted, they must first be completely humbled. It’s how God works.

The problem is we think so highly of ourselves that we would never consider hurting ourselves. But we have been deceived into thinking that humility hurts us, when in fact we are only hurting other people’s opinions of us. And of what value are they? Isn’t God’s opinion of us sufficient? Don’t we realize that while we work so hard to enhance our exterior to maintain our earthly relationships, we are hurting the one relationship that really matters – the one with God? He is offended by our pride. Ultimate humiliation will come to those who are not humble when they stand in the presence of God and He says, “Depart from me into eternal damnation, for I never knew you.”

I don’t know how I would respond if God asked me to do something as humiliating as He asked of Isaiah. The fact that I don’t know means it will probably happen, because it’s obvious that God still must humble me. How about you? Are you humble enough to trust God completely and not worry about what man says? Is your heart so in love with Jesus that He is the only one you truly desire to please? Is your life defined by the purpose of God to let others see Jesus in you?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Someday. We use that term in a variety of ways. “Someday I’m gonna get around to that. Someday it will turn around for me. Someday they will get what they have coming to them. Someday I’ll be able to retire.” Well, at least someday came for that last one. I’m sure there are literally hundreds of other applications of the word someday. But there is a someday coming that will be like no other day. It will be some day!

Attention is drawn to that someday over 100 times in the Old Testament. Generally, it is referred to as “that day.” And what a day it will be!

The first third of the book of Isaiah closes with several chapters of oracles against certain countries and peoples of the world who have rejected God and followed the ways of the flesh. Chapter nineteen deals with the nation of Egypt. There are prophetic warnings about their sin and there is also prophetic attention drawn to the someday that is coming.

There are six specific things God will do in that day:

• “They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the LORD Almighty raises against them.”(Isaiah 19:16) There is a day coming when all the sins of the nations will be judged and punished, and it will be a terrifying day.
• “In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD Almighty.” (19:18) In that day the culture will be influenced by the people of God, rather than the culture attempting to eliminate the influence of God’s people.
• “In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border.”(19:19) Just think – when Jesus comes in that day, the nations of the world will be politically and socially centered on Jesus Christ. Anyone who enters at the border will have their attention drawn to the Lord, and anyone who lives there will be under the authority of the Lord.
• “So the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and keep them.”(19:21) In that day there will be far more than just political allegiance to the Lord. There will be worship. The people will not be captives in their own land, forced to follow an unwelcome conqueror. They will be in love with the Lord who set them free from the tyranny of sin. They will worship Him.
• “In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.” (19:23) Someday the Lord will bring reconciliation between enemies. Nations and people will be brought together in the love of God and will worship the One True Living God, Jesus Christ. They will cooperate politically and socially, and there will be an end to all war.
• “In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth.   The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.” (19:24-25) There will no longer be any aggression towards God’s chosen people Israel. All of Israel’s enemies will surrender to the power and authority of Jesus Christ and He will unite them as one. He will call those who are not Jews His people. He will reveal how He has been working in and through His enemies to fulfill His handiwork. He will affirm Israel as the people of promise and bring all the nations into His inheritance.

Someday! Not by human wisdom or government, but by the return and reign of Jesus Christ. Let that day come soon!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Several years ago, I worked very hard to put in a garden. My location choices were very limited because of the trees in my back yard that provide shade to most areas, but I found a spot that delivered the best afternoon sun. I built a framework so the bed of fresh dirt could be leveled on the grassy slope. I put up a fence to protect the vegetables from the local bunnies. I brought in composted black dirt for soil fertility. I was ready to plant my crops.

As things started to grow, I was impressed. Small sprouts quickly turned into lush plants that had every indication of bearing lots of fruit.  But as the season progressed and the plants kept growing larger, the fruit the plants bore was minimal. It was a huge disappointment. I had the biggest tomato plant ever, but only a few tomatoes. The beans were a bust. The peas were pathetic. And the zucchini were literally squashed. I had the biggest zucchini plants ever and they bloomed profusely, but only one out of every twenty blooms produced a green gourd.

As I reflected on what went wrong, I was stumped. I prepared the soil. It is very fertile, made from compost. Maybe it was too fertile and is just produced top growth – I don’t know. I planted in the right places. There was plenty of rain that summer. What went wrong? How come we can do everything right and still not get blessed with a bountiful harvest?

That last question really hit me because it applies to more than just gardens. It teaches us an eternal principle that God wants us to know. Here it is – Our plans and preparations are meaningless and unproductive unless God produces the fruit. And God won’t produce fruit if He is not our priority.

Isaiah 17:10-11  “You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines,though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain.”

Here’s the truth of the matter: unless we are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and building our lives on the Solid Rock, everything we do will ultimately fail and be destroyed. It doesn’t matter how technologically advanced we become. It doesn’t help that we do all the scientific research to increase productivity. It makes absolutely no difference that we have all the administrative and organizational skills to plan for every possible contingency. If our life isn’t centered on Jesus Christ, and if our hope and strength aren’t in Him alone, all we are doing is feeding futility not fertility.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is in the little book of Hosea. It says, “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.”

So get out your spiritual roto-tiller (some of us might need roto-rooters), dig up the hard ground of your heart, and plant the seeds of his productive priorities. When you do, the harvest is guaranteed.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Monday, June 12, 2023

I have a hard time imagining life back in the days of the early church. There’s no way we can really relate to what it must have been like 2,000 years ago. At least from a lifestyle argument this is true. But it is not true from a faith or philosophical view. The same beliefs that exist today in people’s hearts and minds were prominent back then as well. People’s thinking has not changed. Culture may have changed, and technology has certainly changed, but the heart of man has not.

Around the year 90 A.D., when the apostle John was exiled to the Island of Patmos, Greek philosophers abounded throughout the Roman Empire. They attempted to do what philosophers and scientists today attempt to do – explain life without recognizing the existence of God. One such philosopher was named Epictetus.

To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control, so we should accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. As individuals, however, we are responsible for our own actions, which we must examine and control through rigorous self-discipline. Suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting what is within our power.

This philosophy is not much different than the humanistic philosophy of today. Man has not changed his thinking. Under the power of sin, man still thinks he can control his actions so that they produce good. People still believe that through self-discipline and self-affirmation they can produce their own happiness. How wrong they are!

Epictetus was convinced that attitude and perspective were the keys to managing the problems of life. He wrote, “It isn’t your problems that are bothering you. It is the way you are looking at them.” He was partially right. His problem was that he taught that we needed to look at our problems through the eyes of fate and human ability, rather than through the eyes of God and His Sovereign control of all things.

That’s what God was trying to tell the people of the world through the mouth of Isaiah the prophet. Chapter after chapter come warnings to nations and people about the consequences of not looking at life through from God’s perspective. In chapter 17, the people of Damascus are told about what will happen to all their hard work that has been done only by looking to man’s ability – it will be obliterated. When it is, then they will finally turn their eyes back to the Lord.

Isaiah 17:7-8  “In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah polesand the incense altars their fingers have made.”

Look carefully at today’s Scripture verse. In the past the people of Damascus had their eyes wrongly focused on three things – religion (the altars), work, and pleasure (Asherah poles, representing the sexual focus of their culture under the false worship of the goddess Asherah). Everything they did in life was motivated by the pursuit of one of these things. They sought to find some kind of peace through a religious experience; they sought to find some kind of worth through the work they accomplished; and they sought to find an escape from the troubles of life through pleasure.

Man has not changed. We still look to these three things to fulfill the deepest longings of our hearts. It is only after we suffer the consequences of looking to these things that we finally turn and look to our Maker who knows how to satisfy our every need from the inside out.

So what are you looking at? Is it the things of the earth, or the things of God? But even looking at the things of God is not sufficient. Look to God Himself. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, and look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Friday, June 9, 2023

Today begins a weekend I look forward to every year. I will spend it with my brother Paul as we finish our preparations for a five-day fishing trip. We will get the boat and camper ready, purchase our supplies, and probably laugh a lot, although most of the hilarity happens when my South Dakota friend arrives to join us on the trip.

However, I wonder why, when there is so much to be done, I am so satisfied to sit and do nothing at times. There are days when life seems so mundane. Have you ever wondered why? Do the things that used to bring joy seem simply average and at times even meaningless?

At first I chalk it up to old age, retirement, and tiredness. But then I read this verse this morning. In context, Isaiah is writing about the nation of Moab, but in application he writes about me…and you.

Isaiah 16:9  “The shouts of joy over your ripened fruit and over your harvests have been stilled. Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards; no one sings or shouts in the vineyards; no one treads out wine at the presses, for I have put an end to the shouting.”

The more the Moabites became comfortable and proud of their position, the less they depended upon God. They had not yet learned that joy comes only from the Lord. It is a fruit of the Spirit of God abiding within us. It can only be experienced if the Holy Spirit is filling us. He cannot fill us if we are filled with ourselves. So the loss of joy is the direct result of the choice we make to focus on self.

OUCH!

But I needed that ouch. You may have also needed it. Take some time today, as I will, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the parts of your life and heart where He is not involved, or where His involvement is being restricted by your self-involvement. Then repent of those things and invite Him to fill you. The Joy of the Lord will return and you will be strong again.

Pastor John