LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, October 05, 2017

Psalms 95:6-8a  Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;  for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…

I am a dog lover. Dakota was my favorite dog our family ever had. He was a massive Yellow Lab, and he loved and protected our family. He was extremely loyal, except for one thing – he had this insatiable longing for freedom to do his own thing. He could not be kept tied up or penned in.

One day we found his five-stranded steel cable broken and he was two miles away dragging an eight foot portion of it while he had fun with a female friend. As a puppy, I had tried my very best to teach him to respond to my voice commands, and for the most part he would listen. But if he had a better idea or a better offer from someone else, he would do what he wanted and not what I wanted. When he had his heart set on something he would not even respond to the basic command to “come”. As he grew, he listened less to me and followed his own heart more. Eventually, when we moved into the city of Eau Claire from the farm we were renting, we had to sell him. He would not have survived in town, nor would the neighbors have let us keep him.

Many of us have “Dakota” hearts. We hear God saying “come” but we are only listening to the other offers. We follow our own selfish and corrupted hearts running after the fun we can have with other friends. We leave the security and care of the Master’s pasture to try and satisfy the impulses of our flesh. Then, even when the Master finds us in our filth, and lovingly asks us to come, intending to clean us up and restore us, we run again. Every time we hear His voice and choose our own way, our hearts become harder, and before long we find ourselves wandering in a wilderness of sin with no hope of rest.

Just think of how many devotional times you have had with the Lord when you have read His commands and heard His voice in your heart and then chosen not to listen to Him because it didn’t satisfy your personal agenda at that time.

Now think of how many more times you may have missed hearing His voice because your heart has become desensitized and hardened towards Him because of multiplicity of those previous choices. So many of the circumstances and situations in which we find ourselves are likely a direct result of our own choices and the growing hardness of our hearts.

But stop for a moment. Take a break from your business. Kneel down in a quiet place, and listen. Do you hear it? The Master is calling.

“Come.”

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Bow down and worship Him as the LORD your Maker. The Good Shepherd is calling you back to His pasture where He will care for you.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, October 04, 2017

Psalms 94:18 – 19 When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

Jimmy was playing a make-believe game of soccer in the yard. His dad was working on the garden a few feet away. Jimmy would kick the ball against the fence, pretending it was a net, and then leap for joy at the thought of scoring the winning goal.

Suddenly one of Jimmy’s kicks sailed higher than expected, and it soared over the fence into the neighbor’s yard. Dad gave him permission to go through the gate at the other end of the fence and get his ball. Jimmy, however, had a more direct recovery route in his mind. Even though he knew that his dad had told him not to try and climb the 6-foot-high chain link fence, this 4-year old figured it was quicker to do so. He moved to a position on the fence that was directly behind his dad so he wouldn’t be seen, and started to climb.

His skills were apparent and his caution was commendable, but as he approached the top he stopped to figure out how to get over the sharp point of the fence. As he balanced there for a moment his foot slipped, and he began to fall backwards. At that very instant, his dad, who had been aware of Jimmy’s disobedient attempt to recover his ball, reached out and caught him, rescuing him from landing on the large rock that marked the corner of the garden and had been the launching pad of Jimmy’s climb. When Jimmy begins to cry because of fear, dad held him tight and comforted him before he began any form of correction.

We are so much like Jimmy, and his dad is so much like God. We know God’s will, and we know God’s way, but with our will we choose our own way. How thankful we can be that God is aware of what we are doing, and He is prepared to reach out and catch us when we begin to fall. No matter how many times Jimmy would attempt to climb that fence, every time he would start to fall his dad would spontaneously reach out and catch him. That’s what love does. He wouldn’t stand back and let him fall, hoping it would teach him a lesson. Even if he wanted to, his immediate reaction to seeing his son in danger would be to rescue him. His love would catch him, and then he would find a more appropriate and meaningful way to teach him how to obey. That’s the nature of love, and God is perfect at it!

What joy it brings to our hearts to know that God’s love will catch us, comfort us, and correct us. When we are slipping and about to fall, God’s love supports us. When we are worried and filled with anxiety, God’s comfort brings joy to our souls. Only then will He discipline us, and we will accept it because we now understand the nature of His care for us, and that He wants only good for us.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, October 03, 2017

Psalms 93:5 Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O LORD.

I am not much of an interior decorator. When you walk into our house and notice the décor, it’s all because of Denise. Except, of course, for the family room in the basement where the head mount of a buck hangs next to a large pheasant, a turkey fan, and another rack of antlers. I’ll gladly add to the décor of that room.

Last week I spent three hours helping Denise redecorate our dining room. For several years there has been a stenciled Bible verse on the wall surrounded by a painted frame. Denise had a fabulous idea to create a grandchild clock on the wall. We have 11 grandchildren, so with a picture of Grandma and Grandpa for the 12, we have a huge clock on the wall signifying the birth order of the grandkids. It really looks great.

The problem was, Denise didn’t want to lose the Bible verse. So in comes Mr. “I love to do fine detail work” husband. I carefully peeled every individual letter off the wall and transferred them to a new location above the four dining room windows, making sure they were perfectly level and evenly spaced. It turned out rather well, if I get a vote.

It is important to us to have a house that reflects our love for Jesus Christ. Knowing that first impressions are important, we wanted visitors to our home to quickly notice that this was a sacred place where God dwelt.

But to just have a home decorated so that it looks like a spiritual place isn’t sufficient. Our verse for today from Psalm 93 reminds us that holiness adorns the house of the Lord forever. In this verse, the house of the Lord can refer to both the holy temple of heaven and the temple in Jerusalem. But I want to point out a significant application of the truth of God’s holiness adorning two other temples.

First, the church is called the temple of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 3:16, which says, Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

Paul is speaking here to the body of believers called the church, and, as a whole, the church is the dwelling place of God. Therefore, our churches are to adorn the holiness of God. Our churches are to be a place where people’s first impression is that the Spirit of God is present and powerfully active, producing the sacred fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).

Second, each one of us individually is called a temple of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul says, Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.

Holiness should adorn our lives.

So let’s talk about first impressions again. When people meet you for the first time, what do they quickly notice about you? What is your décor? What adorns your life?

I think for most of us, we would have to humbly admit that we have chosen very worldly and materialistic things to adorn our lives. We wear football jerseys to announce to everyone what team we are on. We polish our possessions so they shine with the pride of our status. We even display our obedience to God’s law as a mark of spiritual superiority.

Maybe it is time to consider the following questions and evaluate the décor of our house of life.

• Do people see you primarily as the dwelling place of God, or the dwelling place of self?
• Does the holiness of the Lord shine through in your actions and your speech from the moment they meet you?
• What have you chosen to be in the prominent place of visibility in your life that will dictate how the rest of your house is decorated?
• When people meet you, do they have to work their way through all of the hallways and rooms of your house filled with sports, job success, or family issues before they finally find the place where God is obvious? Or are they able to see Him clearly displayed in every part of your life beginning with the entrance point?

The décor of our homes is the reflection of who we are and what we love. Our lives and lifestyles are to be no different: they are to be the reflection of who God is.

Maybe it’s time to do a little redecorating.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, October 2, 2017

 Psalm 92:12-15 ¹²  The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. ¹³  They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. ¹⁴  They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, ¹⁵  to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

As a fisherman, I have become very aware of the significance of colors. Colors have meaning. For example, a fad that developed a few years ago is to use red hooks, because supposedly it simulates the bleeding of the bait, indicating an easy meal for the fish. Artificial lures are now being painted with red dots behind the gills for the same reason. In crystal clear water this may work, but overall this is a marketing gimmick, because anyone with any knowledge of color and water knows that as depth increases and light diminishes, the first color to become invisible is red. What good will a red hook do in 30 feet of murky water? But the stores are sure selling a lot of them.

Colors have significant meaning in our lives as well. When we are feeling down we are _______. Right, blue. That makes no sense to me because blue is the color of the sky and how can anyone be down when looking up. Grey would make more sense to me because it’s the color of clouds that hide the beauty of the blue sky.

We use colors to control traffic at intersections, and their meanings have carried over into other areas of our lives as well. Red means danger or warning, do not proceed. We use it to signify emergency vehicles. Yellow means caution and grabs our attention. It is used in advertising and marketing to get us to notice something. We have combined red and yellow to produce orange, which is used for hunting clothing because of its extreme visibility. We use green to signify that all things are good and we may proceed. Green is the color of life and vitality. It is the color God chose to display life in His creation.

As we get older, the meaningfulness and usefulness of our lives is brought into question, sometimes by society and sometimes by friends and family. As our hair turns grey, so do our emotions. As our physical abilities diminish, people put up red lights for us to stop us from participating in activities we still long to do. The realization of potential danger causes us to become more grey. Society has begun to devalue old age. We try everything we can to avoid getting older, feeling older, and especially looking older. What happened to the days when grey hair was considered a sign of wisdom and maturity, and it garnered respect from others?

But in the social strata of God’s kingdom the color of old age is green. God has chosen to provide continuing nourishment for the aging and produce the sweetest harvests from the aged. It is in old age that God promises we will continue to bear fruit and we will stay fresh and green.

There is some significance, I believe, to God using the fruit of the vine as a metaphor for our spiritual lives. Throughout Scripture grapes and wine are used to indicate bounty and vitality. And it is the oldest and best kept vines that produce the best grapes. In fact, until the vines are fully mature and have been sufficiently pruned and shaped, the grapes aren’t even used.

So it is with our lives. As we grow older, we become more productive in bearing fruit that really matters – the fruit of eternal significance. We become less distracted by the things of the world. Its weeds can no longer choke us out. All the things that competed for our time and energy and disrupted our priority system have lost their significance compared to knowing God and bearing eternal fruit for the Master Gardener of our souls. We now see with eyes of wisdom that all we called green in our youth was not green at all, but really yellow, orange, and red. If only the youth would listen to the wisdom of the aged, rather than pushing them aside as those who interfere with their fun.

Take heart, you who are aged. You are still green. You are still bearing fruit. In fact, these are to be your best and most productive years in preparation for God’s eternal kingdom. Let the young see you stand tall like a palm tree during the worst storms of life. Let the young see your true strength which is the result of growing in God like a cedar tree. Stay involved. Be a leader. Take on a ministry. Become a mentor. Teach the young. They need to see what real green looks like.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Psalms 91:14 – 16 (NIV) ¹⁴“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. ¹⁵He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. ¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Psalms 23:4 (NIV) ⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

When I was around 12 years old, I was on vacation with my family in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We were traveling around that beautiful part of our country seeing the sights, like Tahquahmenon Falls, the Porcupine Mountains, Lake of the Clouds, and so many more. We had traveled up into copper mining territory on the Keewanah Peninsula and dad decided it would be fun to tour a copper mine. He went to the ticket booth and came back to the car with five tickets. My math brain quickly figured something was up because there were six of us. Dad said he was staying behind to watch the car while the rest of us all went on the tour. At first I thought he was making a sacrifice. Only after some questioning did I discover his claustrophobia. No way was he going down underground in a small cave in the dark. I was still too young to realize that I had it also. That was about to change.

The tunnel down into the mine was wide and well lit. So far this was fun. I was fascinated by the rock formations and the information the tour guide was giving us. As we got deeper and deeper into the mine, the tunnel narrowed. I looked back and the lights that has been on as we came down the passage way were now off. I could not see the entrance to the mine. I looked ahead and the people on the tour were now all in single file, and the walls of the tunnel were closing in. Then, just as I was getting scared, the tunnel opened into a large opening where mining had taken place.

For a short time, we stood there in peace as the guide told us about the process of mining copper. Then he told us to grab the hand of the person next to us. He didn’t say why, so I didn’t do it. I was standing next to my two brothers, and I wasn’t about to hold their hands. At that instant, the lights went off. The guide told us he wanted us to experience total darkness.

I couldn’t see a thing. I touched my nose to see if I could see even a shadow of my hand, but there was nothing. I couldn’t run because I had no idea where the exit was. I was scared! I remember yelling, “Mom!” She was just on the other side of my brother and I probably shoved him as I reached out to try to grab her. More than anything else I needed to know that a person I could trust was with me. I grabbed her hand just as the lights went on, and I think I held on to it even as my brothers laughed at me. I didn’t care – I needed to feel safe.

As I shared yesterday, I am spending time in the 91^st Psalm this week because it was my mom’s favorite. It was almost 12 years ago that my mom was in bed unable to get up because of the ravaging effects of cancer. But I watched as she reached out to hold on to the hand of the One who can be trusted.

I spent several days with her during her last week of life on earth, and I observed something wonderful: she didn’t reach out for dad’s hand, or for mine. She didn’t call out for the doctor or the nurses. She didn’t show any signs of dependence upon people or the need to have her suffering relieved by people. She never complained when we had to turn her and change her sheets. She simply whispered the name Jesus. In the darkest time of her life she had already reached out her hand to the one she knew she could trust.

Her love for Jesus was rewarded with the His personal presence. So complete was her trust in Him that she didn’t cry when friends came to visit and she had to say goodbye to them for probably the last time. She didn’t even cry when I said goodbye to her on the day I left, never to see her alive again. She simply smiled and hugged me, knowing that we would be together again in the presence of our Savior.

In Psalm 91:14, the Lord says that He will protect us. The Hebrew word for protect literally means to set on high so as to be inaccessible. Mom understood that and lived that truth as she laid on her bed. The Lord has set her on high. Disease, destruction, and death have no access to her. They may have access to her physical body, but her physical body does not define her existence. Her soul and her spirit define her, and they are already experiencing the presence of God.

That is how we are to live our lives every day. We must stop defining our existence by our physical experiences. Instead, we must walk in the Spirit of God. The flesh is not our identity. We have been shown the salvation of God, and no matter what trouble comes to the flesh, His presence is always with us. When we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, then fear is destroyed. The Apostle John said, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…”

When trouble comes, your true love is revealed. When in financial distress do you call your banker or Jesus? When your marriage is falling apart do you call a counselor or Jesus? When stress overwhelms you do you call your friends or Jesus? When sickness invades your life do you call your doctor or Jesus?

It’s ok to call any or all of these people when in need, but not first. Your first call is to Jesus, so that you are assured that your spirit and soul are at peace in His presence. Then, no matter what the outcome of the physical circumstance, you will know you are inaccessible because God has placed you on high.

If you truly love the Lord, then this will be true – you will call on Him, and He will answer you and be with you in the trouble. He will hold your hand in the dark, and you will be safe.

O the glory of His presence!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Psalms 91:1 – 2 (NIV) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

You will notice that I am in spending extra time this week in the 91^st Psalm. There is a reason for that: it was my mom’s favorite Psalm, and it has special value to me.

Now, bear with me as my imagination runs wild.

In my wildest dreams I could never expect this to really happen, but I can pretend. Bill Gates, the founder and CEO of Microsoft, has been searching the internet for a place to drop five million dollars to a charity. He happens across our web site at www.calvaryeauclaire.org and sees the pictures of our building and becomes enamored with the outreach of our church. He authorizes a check, and three days later, by certified mail with a return receipt requested, the staff and I open up a personal letter from Mr. Gates with the check enclosed. After we get done jumping and shouting, we fall to our knees in prayer as we weep before the Lord for His provision. We then take the check, this promise of resources, and place it in the safe, where it will stay as a memorial of God’s goodness.

Wait a minute…stop the dream…it’s become idiotic. Wouldn’t we take the check to the bank and deposit the funds to our church account? Of course we would. We never get a dime of that money unless the promise is cashed in. We believe the issuer is able to fulfill his promise, and he wouldn’t have written the check if he didn’t want to fulfill his promise, so we cash the check and enjoy the benefits of the promise.

I am convinced we have just as foolishly not cashed in some of the promises of God. When I read the 91^st Psalm, I find myself saying I believe them, but not cashing them in. I put them in a safe place in my heart to remind me of God’s goodness, but I never enjoy the benefits of the promise today. I have allowed my circumstances to dictate the validity of the promise, which in turn causes doubt about the Author of the promise.

Can you relate? Here’s a test. Read the following promises from today’s Psalm, and evaluate your first response to them…

• He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Are you resting?
• Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. Are you trusting Him for your daily protection? Do you thank Him for all you did NOT encounter today that could have happen had He not been your protector?
• He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. Do you feel safe and secure and comforted, walking in peace and not fear?
• If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. OK, did you just try to explain this promise away, or do you truly believe God’s promise? Do you understand that no human circumstance can be called a disaster. Why? Because nothing can separate us from His love, and everything that happens allows God to draw us deeper into His heart?
• For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Are you aware of God’s ministering servants called angels whom He has commanded to guard our lives?

WOW! What a check we have received. But no check is valid unless it is signed by the one who makes the promise of payment. Fortunately for us, God Himself has signed this check…

 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Twelve years ago I watched as my mom spent the last portion of this promise she had cashed early on in her life. She is now dwelling permanently in the presence of the Benefactor. While here on this earth, she lived lavishly as she spent every spiritual penny of this Psalm. It was the theme of her life. She could have simply read it, seen the signature, and then put it in a safe place as a memorial of God’s goodness. But that would have been to live a life of doubt. She lived a life of faith – faith in the One who wrote the check, that He could pay it and that He wanted to pay it now. She was living the lavish lifestyle of a spiritually wealthy person.

Isn’t it time you cashed some of God’s checks?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Psalms 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Several years ago, I was on a family fishing trip, and my brother was there with me. While we were fishing, we noticed a mature bald eagle settle in a tree at the edge of the lake. We maneuvered into a position in the boat where we could get pictures, and then with a little noise we forced the majestic bird to fly out over the water as we snapped pictures.

During his ascent one of his tail feathers fell out and floated downward to the water. We drove over to it and picked it up. It was huge! I was impressed not only by its size but be its design. It was strong enough to not break, bend, or tear under the stress of strong winds while in flight, yet it was delicate enough to feel soft and comforting to the touch. It was completely waterproof and obviously ultraviolet safe because the colors showed no signs of fading.

A feather is a marvel of God’s creation. No wonder the Psalmist chose the feather as the symbol of God’s comfort and care for us. When the storms of life rise up against us, God has us covered with His feathers providing protection from the wind and the rain. When enemies mount an attack against us we find refuge under His wings. When we are tempted to cower in fear His faithfulness gives us confidence to stand strong because he is our shield and our rampart. (The word rampart means to be totally surrounded. God totally surrounds us with protection.) No matter what the circumstances of life, in Christ we are covered and confident.

One of the songs my mom used to sing when I was younger was an old hymn called “Under His Wings”. Let the words cover you with confidence today.

Under His wings, I am safely abiding;

Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,

Still I can trust Him I know He will keep me;

He has redeemed me and I am His child.

Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!

How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!

Often when earth has no balm for my healing,

There I find comfort and there I am blessed.

Under His wings, O what precious enjoyment!

There will I hide ‘til life’s trials are o’er;

Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me;

Resting in Jesus I’m safe evermore.

Under His wings, under His wings,

Who from His love can sever?

Under His wings my soul shall abide,

Safely abide forever.

God is faithful! Nothing can separate us from His love. He is our refuge and our strength, and an ever-present help in time of need. Let Him cover you today with comfort so you serve Him with confidence.

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, September 25, 2017

Psalms 90:17 (NIV) May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.

Last night I followed my weekly routine of taking out the garbage. I pushed the container to the end of the driveway and then took a little stroll up the road to look at the stars. What a glorious evening it was, especially considering the calendar date.

This morning, as I write, I am symbolically taking a walk through the 90^th Psalm. The morning air is refreshingly sweet today. As I step out of my home and the comforts of my dwelling place, into the presence of God, I am immediately reminded that the Lord is my true dwelling place. (verse 1) He is the everlasting God, with no beginning and no end, dwelling outside the confines of time and space. He created this magnificent morning, and as the sky lightens in the east and the first few sunbeams hit the trees their colors come alive. The wind awakens the leaves into songs of praise to the One who sovereignly controls all things. (vs.2) Everything, including the very length of our lives, happens according to the righteous and loving plan of God to accomplish His glorious purpose.

It’s amazing where the mind wanders when the body is walking. It’s so refreshing and invigorating. It’s so easy to open our hearts to be renewed by the Holy Spirit when we take a walk with the Lord. Let’s keep going, even though the next part of the walk pushes us to the wall of endurance where we will need that “second breath.” It would be easy to turn around now and go back home, but it’s the next few steps that will begin to burn fat and get us in shape.

The fat that needs to be burned is deep within us in places we try to hide. We cover it up with intentionally chosen fashion. We change our posture before people so they don’t see it. But God is showing it to us on our walk today. His light is revealing those secret areas of fat called sin. Verse 8 says “You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. The Holy Spirit is asking us to take out the garbage.

Can you feel the burn? Keep walking. Let God purify your system as you confess your sin. Take cleansing breaths of the Holy Spirit. Throw aside the sin. Leave it on the side of the road. Soon you will be running. (Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Heb. 12:1)

WOW! I am energized to walk further. A weight has been lifted. I actually feel like I am getting in shape. The further I go from the comforts of my home, the more my perspective changes. I see things I have not seen before. Different things take on greater significance to me.

I’ve become more serious about what is truly significant in life. My eyes are being opened to the bigger picture of God’s priorities. I am learning to waste less time on frivolous activity that does nothing more than gratify some flesh-driven need.

Our time is short upon this earth, and we need to make every moment count. I think that’s a key element in the wisdom that comes with age. (vs. 10) So I need to make the most of every day, and that means choosing to use each one for the honor and glory of the One who gives them to me. (vs. 12) Then I will have the favor of the Lord my God resting upon me.

This is a stopping point on my walk. Not because I am tired, but because I need to fully grasp this truth before I move on. It is imperative that I understand that God will not establish my work if it is done for my benefit. But all the work of my hands that is done for Him will be established, and I will find fulfillment in that work. (vs. 17)

Oh how I have tried to find fulfillment in work and play that benefits my flesh-driven need for value and identity. How broken my spirit is that I have put my plans and pleasures ahead of God’s purpose. Even after such a long walk, I realize I am still loaded with fat – the fat of pursuing fulfillment my way. I think this is where I will stop for today. I will pitch my tent at this point of my walk and let the Holy Spirit convict me and cleanse me. It is my deepest desire to have the favor of God rest upon me, and for Him to establish the work of my hands.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, September 21, 2017

 Psalm 89:1  I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

Do you have a “go-to” place in the Bible? You know, that one passage of God’s Holy Word that centers you, stabilizes you, refreshes you, and restores hope?

I have several, depending on the need. But when it comes to a declaration of the steadfast love and faithfulness of God, Psalm 89 is high on the list.

The first 29 verses of Psalm 89 are one of the most encouraging and uplifting passages of praise in the Bible. It has been the theme for songs that we love, like the one written in 1977 by James Fillmore that goes:

 I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.  I will sing, I will sing.

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.  I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.

With my mouth, will I make known thy faithfulness, thy faithfulness.

With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.  I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.

There, for those of you who know it, I have successfully planted the melody in your head for the rest of the day. It will keep you company and you will find yourself praising Him as you go about your work and play. That’s the way every day should be lived.

Unfortunately, we allow life to get in the way of praising God. We are so quickly distracted from the character of God by the confusion of our circumstances. When the storms of life hit us and we are plunged into emotional darkness, as we wrote yesterday, we too easily forget that God’s steadfast love and faithfulness have been established forever (verse 2).

I find it interesting that at 5 AM today the power went out at our house, and was off until 7 AM, leaving me in darkness as I used a flashlight to have my devotions. God gave me a practical illustration of Psalm 88 and 89. You see, the same Levite who wrote Psalm 88, the dirge of darkness, is the same composer of this Psalm of rejoicing. He demonstrates for us that no matter how dark the circumstances of life, God has not changed, nor will He ever change.

• When the skies go black, God is still praised in the heavens (verse 5).
• When the winds whip up the seas into a frenzy, God still controls the waves (verse 9).
• When enemies attack you, God is your Defender (verse 10).
• He is strong and mighty, righteous and just (verses 13-14).

Even when, at the end of the Psalm, he again brings up the darkness of his situation (verses 38-51), he ends with a statement of praise – Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.

I have personally experienced the emotional darkness of allowing circumstances to dictate reality. Yet in every one of those times, God has been loving and faithful. He has revealed to me the truth of Psalm 89:21 – My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him.

I want you to know that no matter what you are going through, GOD IS GREAT AND GOOD! He has anointed you with the sacred oil of His Holy Spirit (vs. 20). You will experience His arm that is endued with power and His hand that is strong (vs. 13).  You will discover that when you see the reality that God’s steadfast love and faithfulness is constant behind the inconsistencies of life, you will be able to praise Him. Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD. (verse 15)

So today, regardless of the circumstances of life, join with me in proclaiming the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. In Him there is never a power outage.

I will sing of the LORD’S great love forever;  with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

I will declare that your love stands firm forever,  that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

Pastor John

Life Link Devotional

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Psalms 88:1 O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.

What a potentially disappointing day this started out to be. I love the sound of thunder as much as anyone, but when it wakes me up on a day when I have specific outdoor opportunities available to me then I tend to react negatively. Come on…admit it…you do the same.

But then, after investigating the evidence called weather radar, my hope was buoyed. The rain was already clearing, and the rest of the day holds a high chance of outdoor opportunities.

So, I opened the Bible in a spirit of praise and began to read today’s Psalm. It is interesting that Psalm 88 is the only Psalm out of 150 that doesn’t end with some degree of hope. Instead it ends with man’s friendship with darkness. What tragedies had he experienced that he felt his only comfort was to enjoy the blindness of darkness so he wouldn’t have to face them. What storm had so disappointed him that he entered such a state of discouragement.

Whoever this author named Heman was, he had obviously been through the pits. When he wrote these words he was at the brink of death, overwhelmed by waves of wrath from God, without friends and loved ones, and totally hopeless.

OK, God, I get the first point – my life is not that bad just because of a rain storm that potentially interrupts my plans. Yet Satan wants me to believe it’s that bad by distorting my perception of reality. I must choose to look at the facts and not be governed by my emotions.

Notice how the Psalm starts. This despairing man makes an opening statement of faith that tempers all the rest of what he will say.

You are the God who saves me!

Now my mind is flooded with His promises –

• Nothing can separate me from His love…
• No one can snatch me out of the Father’s hand…
• I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of my inheritance with Jesus Christ in glory…
• My inheritance is being kept for me by the power of God and is not affected by what happens in this life…
• God has saved me!

Then I noticed verses 10 through 13 – a series of rhetorical questions for which the author knows the obvious answer is NO! God is in the midst of the darkest times of our lives. He realizes that he has not yet reached the point of hopelessness because he is still able to cry out to God for help.

The Holy Spirit reminds me of the truth of Hebrews 12:3-4 which says, Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

I still have breath, and that means He is still working in my life. All of the dreariness is a part of His plan to teach and train me. I just wish I would see the light at the end of the tunnel a little sooner. But true faith is tested best in the dark.

As I contemplated the significance of this Psalm, I glanced at the introduction to the Psalm and realize it’s significance. This dreary dirge became one of the worship songs in the Temple of God. At some point after the events that motivated its writing, Heman addressed this dark journal entry to the musicians and had them put it to music.

It is obvious that even though he could only see darkness when he wrote it, God had brought him through and back into the light. The example of his life became the ending to the song. The Lord who saves also delivers – Hallelujah!

So no matter how dark and dreary it appears today, remember this – God has saved you; it’s not as bad as it could be; and you will be delivered.

Embrace the One who even in the darkest dark has promised to never leave you or forsake you.

Pastor John