LifeLink Devotions

Monday, January 8, 2024

My wife is a wonderful seamstress. When our kids were little she made them a lot of clothing. Then she made clothing for the grandchildren. She even made clothes for the granddaughters’ dolls.

Years ago, when the kids were small and I was in business, I was the manager of a retail department store while the Lord was training me for ministry. There was a fabric department in the store. Bolts of fabric would come in on the truck, and it seemed like all the seamstresses in town knew our shipping schedule. No sooner did we have the material on display than the department would be filled with women searching for just the right fabric to sew into a new garment for their kids or even themselves.

One table in the department was reserved for remnants. Whenever a bolt of fabric would be sold off to the point where less than two yards were left, we would mark down the price and put it on the remnant table. The fabric left on the bolt was just as good as the previously sold yardage, but the limited quantity also limited the available applications. The remnant was a small reminder of a previous abundance.

That’s the picture we have in the sixty-third chapter of Isaiah. I would really encourage you to spend a few minutes right now and read it. Isaiah 63:7-19

Did you see the remnant? The nation is in shambles. (vs. 18-19) They have rebelled against the Lord God. (vs. 10) Throughout their history God has revealed His glory to them. ( vs. 11-14) But in the midst of the dark days of the present, there arose a remnant that recognized their Redeemer. (vs. 16) Now their hearts are crying out to God for His return and His deliverance.

Isaiah 64:1  “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!”

I believe that we are living in a world that is on the precipice of prophetic fulfillment. Soon the remnant of those who truly believe that Jesus is the Messiah will begin to grow.

Two things are certain from the prophecies of God’s Word:

1. Jesus is coming back and the nation of Israel will be the political, spiritual, and economic capital of the world;
2. and before He does return, we will see a great falling away from the Gospel by the people of the world and the true followers of Jesus being identified and persecuted for their faith that stands opposed to the cultural consensus of humanism.

I thank God that I live in this day, and that the Lord has chosen to pour out His Spirit on His people so that the Gospel is having a profound and eternal effect on the unsaved. I praise God that there is a remnant being identified that, while small and seemingly with limited applications, has the power of the resurrected Christ to exalt the glorious name of Jesus Christ. I am humbled that He has chosen to use our weaknesses to magnify His strength. I am honored to be surrounded by so many who have also chosen to set aside all their earthly pursuits for the sake of the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in the resurrected Lord.

May I implore you to consider the call of Jesus Christ to true discipleship? With the love of Christ compelling me and the Holy Spirit empowering me, I challenge you to consider your connection to the kingdom of this world and repent. I urge you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, to place your total faith and confidence in Jesus Christ alone that He can and will provide every one of your needs if you once again permit Him to be the priority of your love. I beg you as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to reflect on your family life, and the priorities you are teaching to your children about dependence on the world’s activities to provide personal and emotional value. I charge you, as Paul charged Timothy, to not have a form of godliness without the power of it to transform your life. 

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

I implore you to be identified with the remnant of those who will stand apart from their culture and remind its people that Jesus is coming again in power and great glory!

Pastor John

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LifeLink Devotions

Friday, January 5, 2024

Isaiah 63:8  “He said, “They are my very own people. Surely they will not be false again.” And he became their Savior.”

Read that last sentence again.

“And He became their Savior.”

Excuse me while I look for my socks, because they have just been blown off. It’s a little hard to walk around because my world has been rocked.  I’m floppin’ around like a scared bird whose cage has been rattled. STOP!

Seriously, I am overwhelmed with that statement. Think about it. They had rebelled. They had committed spiritual adultery by embracing idolatry. They had become completely self-centered and self-serving. They manipulated the laws of God to serve their own purposes. To remove guilt and shame they indulged in every form of pain relief known to man. They were drunkards, drug addicts, sex addicts, rapists, and murderers. They offered their children as human sacrifices to false gods. They were corrupt to the core.

Yet God said, “’They are my very own people. Surely they will not be false again.’ And he became their Savior.”

Let me tell you about two people I knew years ago.

The man was an ex-con, released from jail several years before I met him. The woman was totally opposed to anything spiritual. They hooked up after he got out of jail and now have a beautiful set of twin daughters. They are not married – yet. After investing time and love into them, a young married couple from our church invited them to come see the movie “Courageous.” The next day they were in church. At the conclusion of the service, both responded in faith to the offer of God’s grace. He became their Savior.

Two weeks later, the husband of the couple who brought them to the Lord for salvation will have the honor of baptizing them. Our congregation shouted and praised the Lord. We rejoiced because once again we saw the power of Jesus Christ to save. No matter how bad the past, there is a Living Hope for the future.

Maybe it’s time for you to finally see the love that God has for you. Maybe it’s time to realize that the affirmation you have been searching for is found in the words of the Lord when He says, “Surely they will not be false again.” Maybe now is the time to trust the One who gave His life in exchange for you when He died on the cross as the ultimate expression of God’s love. That’s how much He loves you.

There is hope for you, no matter where you are or what you have done. God is not counting the number of failures; He’s planting the seed of faith in your heart right now so He can guarantee your future.

Isn’t it time to trust Him to be your Savior?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, January 4, 2024

My memory is changing.  I feel like an obsolete computer that’s in need of a major upgrade. My hard drive has become fragmented, and access to the filing system is substantially slower than it used to be. When I finally do locate the file, it is corrupted and unreadable.

Yet some parts of this change are very good. I have discovered that the first files to become corrupted are the ones containing all the bad memories of life. I had a specific password-protected folder named “Hurts and Hard Feelings” (HHF) and I’m having a terrible time remembering the password. It used to be the first folder to be opened every day. Now it’s hard to get into it at all.

As I was going through a bunch of old paperwork in my office, I found a letter I had written to a church that had deeply hurt me in the past. As I read the letter, I tried to access the HHF folder and couldn’t. Instead, I saw the glory of God’s work to refine me and mature me into the man I am today.

Several years ago, I ran a diagnostic check on my filing system. (I’m still speaking about my brain, not an actual computer.) I discovered that the corrupted files were not being repaired or deleted. I checked my Virus Protection Software and discovered a setting I never knew was there before. There’s an option in the Program that allows It to automatically repair and/or delete corrupted files.

When I first set the computer up with the new Operating System I remember hearing about this feature, but never turned it on. I was afraid that it would delete things in those files that I might need to access at a later date. I really believed that information might be able to be used to my advantage in the future. Little did I know that the viruses in those files would slowly infect all the other files in my system as well.

So, I turned on the Automatically Repair or Delete feature in my Virus Protection Software. My HHF folder is almost empty. The Virus Protector is working. There are days when I want to put a file in there, but the VP has changed the password, and I cannot even save the file. And when I try to save it to a different location, the VP brings up a dialogue box and asks me if I really want to save this corrupted file to my computer. Then, even on the days when I really want to save it and click “Yes”, the Operating System shuts down until I authorize the VP to scan and clean my computer.

Isaiah 63:7  “I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us…”

I am amazed at how well my computer is running these days since I downloaded and accepted all these manufacturer’s recommended updates. Now when I wake up every morning, my mind is filled with memories of the steadfast love of the Lord rather than the events filed in the HHF folder. The Virus Protector is constantly scanning my computer for any downloads or inputs that will harm the Operating System.

You see, loss of memory can be a good thing. However, don’t wait for the memory system to start to deteriorate to experience the benefits of lost files. Let go of the control of your filing system and turn on the automatic features in your Virus Protection Software called SLL – the Steadfast Love of the Lord. Then you can start experiencing the full benefits of your upgraded Operating System.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Isaiah 62:11 “The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’”

There’s a stir in the crowd. Respect for those who are praying keeps people silent for a while, but the news is too important, so whispering begins. As more and more people hear the news vocal chords are activated, and soon, almost sacrilegiously, shouting begins. The decorum of the Temple is no longer considered because news that the Messiah is coming has spread throughout the crowd. There can be no restraint of such enthusiasm.

In their hearts, the people expected this to be the day for which they have prayed throughout the centuries. Since the days of King David, they have had a unified hope of national redemption under the reign of God’s chosen King. Finally, or so they thought, that day had arrived.

They rushed to the outskirts of the city to verify the route the Messiah was taking. Along the way they stopped to collect palm branches which they would use to honor the arriving King. No King should have to walk on a dusty road. As they walked, they began a mental review of the Scriptures they knew so well concerning the Messiah. Quickly the joy of the moment overwhelmed them and they began speaking the words out loud.

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Then suddenly, up ahead, they see another crowd of people coming towards them. They are already shouting the same words. Their voices begin to amplify, and the surrounding countryside is filled with the stereophonic sounds of praise.

As they draw closer their pitch has been raised to fevered proportions. They began laying down their branches, and when they didn’t sufficiently cover the road, they took off their cloaks and laid them down as well. As the newly proclaimed King passed by they joined in the procession with shouts of joy to the One who would finally set them free.

As they walked, no one really noticed that the King wasn’t riding a great white horse fit for such royalty. Instead, He was on a donkey, and the foal of that donkey. If only they had asked the King for an explanation, they may have had the eyes of their spiritual understanding opened. But as it was, their thinking was dominated by their desire for personal and national prosperity. They were not thinking about their spiritual needs but had interpreted all the prophet’s words about the Messiah in light of a political agenda.

In the days ahead it would be revealed to them that the Messiah they thought would deliver them from Rome’s bondage had a different purpose in in heart. They would reject their King and put Him to death as an imposter. They had totally missed the point of the Son of God’s entrance into the human race and His entrance into Jerusalem. He was and still is primarily concerned with the redemption of people, not nations. That is why He was there, and that is why He died. When He enters the heart of a sinner and saves him by His grace, He has made the real triumphal entry.

Someday the world will see another triumphal entry. Those of us who have already had Him march into our lives as King of Kings and Lord of Lords will be with Him when He returns to this earth to establish the physical Kingdom promised by the Father. For those who reject Him as King today, it will be a horrifying day of eternal judgment.

The tables will be turned from His first entry. The people of earth will not be shouting “Hosanna”, but rather “Help!” We who are with Him will be the ones shouting “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.” The people of earth will not put Him to death, but He will sentence them to eternal death. The people who have rejected Him will not enjoy the rewards of the King in His kingdom but will be separated from His presence forever.

We who are His, who understand the purpose of His first triumphal entry, and have experienced the real triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into our hearts, will reign with Him in glory forever and ever! Amen!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Isaiah 62:4b “…for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married.”

Ladies, are you a bride?

There are several possible answers to that question, and if you give me some time, I will tell you how they apply to men as well.

• “Nope, and I never want to be.”
• “No, but I want to be.”
• “Not yet, but I’m going to be soon.”
• “YES!”
• “I was once.”

The saddest answer that can be given to the question of “Are you a bride?” is the last one – “I was once.” The first answer sounds sad also, but in reality, there are some people, according to God’s Holy Word, that are able to remain single all their life so as to serve the Lord wholeheartedly. But when a bride reaches the point of not considering herself a bride any longer, that is sad.

Sometimes that point is reached through the death of a husband, or through the God-hated practice of divorce. But the greatest tragedy is when a wife of any length of time, while married, loses the delight of being a bride.

Okay men, you’ve waited long enough: how does this apply to us? Well, according to the words of the angel in Revelation, all who come to Jesus Christ for salvation are considered the bride of Christ – male and female alike. God uses the picture of human marriage to depict our spiritual relationship with His Son Jesus. Even in this passage in Isaiah, in verse 5, the Lord God says, “So will your sons (as in the builder of the family name) marry you.” Jesus Christ, the son of Israel, the eternal Builder of the family name, will marry you. You are a bride.

Notice I said that you are a bride. If you are in Christ, saved by grace through faith, forgiven through the repentance of sin, you are the bride of Christ. The problem is that some of us give the saddest answer of all when asked if we are a bride – we say that we were once.

How tragic that the bride of Christ has lost the delight of being the bride. But you may wonder how you may know if that’s true of you. Here’s how, in Isaiah’s own words as he relates it from a national perspective for the people of Israel.

• You may have lost the desire to constantly talk about the coming of the Groom. “I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” (verses 6-7) The Bride of Christ cannot help but look for the Groom and wait for His appearing.
• You may be distracted by the world and giving your heart away to sinful practices. “Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled.” (verse 8). Once a marriage has occurred, all the attention of the Bride is to be focused on the Groom. Wandering eyes are not permitted. Thoughts of cheating are never present. Attempts to serve self are blanketed by the unconditional love of God which produces attitudes and actions of service to the Groom.

What is true of marriage is true for us in our relationship with Jesus. It is the promise of restoration for the nation of Israel. It is the present reality for the Bride of Christ. May the Lord Jesus Christ, in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit of God the Father, restore unto each of us the delight of being the Bride of Christ!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Monday, January 1, 2024

There’s one more part to the story from last Friday, and it’s a great way to start the new year. Following the baptism of a new believer, the Lord spoke to our congregation in a very clear and precise way. As a result, one more person came to saving faith in Jesus Christ and entered His eternal Kingdom. Hallelujah! Jesus is mighty to save, and He is not done doing it.

Isaiah 62:2 “The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.”

As I read Isaiah 62:1-2 again this morning, I was drawn to one phrase – “you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.” For those of you who first think theologically, I know that these verses apply specifically to the restoration of the nation of Israel. But the truth of a new name expands into the church age as well.

When Jesus had the Apostle John write to the seven churches in the book of Revelation, to two of them He declared that those who overcome and remain faithful would receive a new name.

In Revelation 19, when Jesus returns to earth with the armies of heaven, He has on Him a Name known only to Himself – the Name given to Him upon His exaltation to the right hand of God following His resurrection. It is the Name above all names at which every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, that He is Lord.

Every time a sinner repents and is saved there is a new name written in the Lamb’s book of life in heaven – a name that is written in the blood of the Lamb and can never be erased.

That Sunday, a new name was written down in glory. Personally, I see a lot more of that happening in the future as people become bold enough to speak up about their faith. I believe in these last days we are going to begin to see a clear separation of people from the world who are called to faith in Jesus Christ. I believe that in these last days, those of us who stand up and speak out the true Gospel will be blessed with an increasing harvest of souls saved from their sin by the power of Christ’s blood shed on the cross. Yes, there will be persecution. Yes, there will be suffering. But the blessing of praying with someone who is repenting of their sin, crucifying the old nature, and being reborn into eternal life in Jesus Christ is worth any hardship.

Do you believe that? Will you live that way?

I am reminded of one of my favorite old hymns of our faith. Let it minister to you as it does to me.

“I was once a sinner, but I came
Pardon to receive from my Lord:
This was freely given, and I found
That He always kept His word.

“I was humbly kneeling at the cross,
Fearing naught but God’s angry frown;
When the heavens opened and I saw
That my name was written down.

“In the Book ’tis written, “Saved by Grace,”
O the joy that came to my soul!
Now I am forgiven, and I know
By the blood I am made whole.

“There’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
And the white robed angels sing the story,
“A sinner has come home.”
For there’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
With my sins forgiven I am bound for Heaven,
Never more to roam.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Friday, December 29, 2023

As a follow-up to yesterday’s devotional, I want to tell you a story from my past ministry experience. I hope you will read the entire post  as it is rather lengthy,

One Sunday after church, a young lady came to give me a hug after the service. I had been praying for this teenager for a couple of years. Occasionally I would ask her about her readiness to make a commitmentI to Christ, and I would get a polite but cold response. The Holy Spirit directed me to ask her again, and to put it into the context of the upcoming baptism service planned for the next Sunday.

As I looked in her eyes, I challenged her again to consider her commitment to Christ, and she said she would, and that she would contact me later in the week. Now I really started praying.

During that week she celebrated her 16^th birthday and I sent her a note of congratulations. That evening my phone buzzed that I had a text message. It was her. She said this – “Hey Pastor John…I’ve been thinking about the baptism on Sunday and I wanna do it.” My heart leapt into my throat with excitement. I quickly texted her back and asked if I could call her, and she said yes.

At this point many pastors and even many parents would simply assume that the person is saved and ready for baptism or they wouldn’t ask for it, but that is completely and deceptively wrong! Am I ever glad I didn’t do that. I spoke up, and it resulted in an eternal transaction taking place. With absolutely no offense intended to this young lady, I have her permission to share the context of our conversation.

As we talked, I discovered something very significant – she didn’t really understand the Gospel. I have been aware of the false Gospel being promoted in churches all over the world for a long time and have been trying to warn people about it, but when someone in my own church is not understanding salvation even though the truth is preached, I realized the depth of the deception that is going on in our so called Christian community.

I asked her when she got saved, and she didn’t know what that meant. I asked her about her commitment to Christ, and she said she wanted to try harder to change her life. God was working on her heart, but she was putting everything into the context of her efforts rather than confessing her unworthiness which would result in faith in Christ’s efforts on our behalf. Just as many others are, she had been deceived into thinking that knowing about God and following God are our responsibility, and if we work at it hard enough we will be successful and He will save us. HOW FALSE THIS IS! If you believe this, you are still lost. I’m only speaking up because I love you.

I took her back to the Garden of Eden and God’s original creation. I showed her how man sinned and rejected total intimacy with God and placed their trust in their own wisdom and understanding. With every new foundation of truth I asked her if she understood, and the Holy Spirit was opening her eyes and her heart as she said yes!

I asked her if there was anything in her of worth that she could offer to God as payment for her sin, and she said no. I proceeded to tell her that God so loves us that He wants to save us. I asked her what God had given us so that our sins could be forgiven. She said “Baptism.” Ouch. My heart was pierced with the deception of the Gospel again. I simply said that wasn’t right, and I asked the question again. This time she said, “Communion.” The knife twisted again in my heart. How many people all over the world are being led directly to an eternity in Hell because they believe that an activity of man can bring them forgiveness? It breaks my heart to think of it.

When I told her again that her answer was incorrect, I could hear the nervousness in her voice. I reassured her that this was all necessary so she would really know the truth and be saved, and we continued. I began quoting John 3:16 to her –  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” and I stopped. She immediately finished quoting the verse for me. I asked her if it said that whoever is baptized shall have eternal life, and she of course said no. I did the same with communion, and she again said no. I emphasized the truth to her that whoever believes on Him – Jesus Christ and His work on the cross – shall have everlasting life. The light of truth was being turned on for her.

I said very simply to her that there were three things she needed to believe:

1. That she is a sinner and incapable of ever doing enough to earn her salvation from sin. (See Romans 3:23 and Titus 3:3-7)
2. That God sent Jesus to the earth to completely pay the price for our sin by becoming our sin and dying voluntarily on the cross, and that God proved His  satisfaction with the sacrifice by raising Jesus from the dead and exalting Him to the right hand of God in Heaven, guaranteeing eternal life those who believe in Him. (Hebrews 10:11 – “But when [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.”)
3. That all she needs to do is believe in her heart that Jesus died and was resurrected from the dead for her sins, and confess with her mouth that Jesus is Lord, she will be saved. (Romans 10:9-10) In that moment of belief and confession, your sins will be forgiven and you will be saved for all eternity.

I asked her if she was ready to do that and she said yes. YES!!! What a moment. We prayed and she confessed her need of forgiveness. She confessed that Jesus had died for her sins. She confessed she could do no works to earn salvation. She accepted God’s forgiveness and surrendered her life to Jesus Christ and asked Him to change her from the inside out. Hallelujah, it is finished! Her debt was paid by Jesus. She experienced another birthday on her birthday!

She was baptized the next Sunday as a believer, not to earn anything, but as an expression of her personal faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism is not a means of entering into faith. She was baptized because she already had sufficient grace for salvation, not to receive more grace.

That is the Gospel. Don’t be deceived any longer. That is the one and only truth of Scripture, and until I die I will rejoice in every opportunity to speak up about it.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, December 28, 2023

I love it when someone asks me to speak. I am a verbal person. Verbose maybe. Annoying sometimes. But I love to talk. The question is, why?

With sincere repentance in my heart, I must admit that for much of my life the motivation for my communication was selfish. It is still a difficult struggle. I get to tell my stories. I get to watch people’s reactions and hear their responses, hoping that they might benefit me in some way. When I talk, the attention is on me, and I like that. Come on. Look deep into your heart. It may be true of you too.

But why is it that when words will benefit someone else, we find it difficult to speak them? It’s amazing how we speak when we should be silent, and we are silent when we should speak. Personal benefit motivates our activity more than we dare to admit. Fear of rejection and fear of retribution cause us to go silent.

Isaiah was in a tough place. The nation to which he had been called as a prophet was rejecting the word of the Lord. He had two choices – shut up and stop telling the people what God wanted and thereby stay safe or speak up and proclaim the truth no matter what the consequences. What would motivate any of us to do the latter?

Isaiah 62:1 “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.”

The answer is…LOVE! What we love the most determines our activity. Isaiah loved the people that God loved, because he loved God. For the people’s sake he could not keep silent. If it was for his own sake, he would have run away and never been heard from again. But he had determined in his heart that his love for God and for God’s Word would produce a love for people who needed God, and he could not remain silent. Regardless of the consequences, love always dictates action, and Isaiah had God’s love for people, so he acted on it.

Oh that we would do the same! We who love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength cannot remain silent when surrounded by so many people who need to see and experience the love of God.

Today, for their sake, we must not keep silent until righteousness is revealed in their lives and their salvation has been accomplished.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

As I look out over the snowless back yard at my house, I see work that needs to be done. I know it’s way too early to think about spring yard work, but the lack of snow keeps all the potential projects visible. It will be a long winter of waiting if I can’t ignore them.

As I study Isaiah chapter sixty-one my attention is drawn to the gardening metaphors.

• Isaiah 61:3 “We will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” Isn’t that exciting – we…you and me…are planted by the Lord so we can display His splendor to the world! How’s that going for you? Does the world see us despairing over the sufferings of life or displaying the splendor of the Lord?
• Isaiah 61:11 “For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” This metaphor confused me. I understand the soil part of causing a seed to germinate, but since when does a garden cause seeds to grow? Seeds will grow outside of gardens as well, won’t they? Then it hit me – the Lord is the soil; He is the garden. We are the seeds. When we are planted in Him, in the soil that He has prepared, and when we remain in Him, within the boundaries of His garden, then we spring up as righteousness before all the nations and praise Him.

I like that. Life started in a Garden, where everything was good, and righteousness and praise continually sprang up. Even though that original physical garden is gone, destroyed by man’s sin, there is a spiritual garden in which each of us can be planted to spring up with righteousness and praise.

I am reminded of the words of Psalm 1 – “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

I wonder if the reason we don’t spring up with righteousness and praise more often is that we are drawing our water from the wrong place. The water of the world will bring disease and death to any seed, but the water from the River of Life brings a harvest of spiritual prosperity.

God has prepared a garden for each of us in which we are to sprout up and spring up with the splendor of His grace. It is a well-watered garden, and in it we will flourish. The world has a garden also, but just beneath the soil that looks fertile is the blight of death. Be careful where you choose to be planted. Plant yourself in the garden of God, and spring up with life.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

The word “delight” is interesting. When heard, read, or spoken it immediately creates an emotional response. Yet at first glance it appears to be an oxymoron. To de-light means to make dark, yet the general use of the word means to brighten.

I looked up the etymology of the word. I discovered it is not the word light with the prefix de. The original word is French – delit – from the word delitier which means “to please greatly.” Until the sixteenth century it was spelled delite, so when you see it used that way in advertising it’s okay – let it go.

Okay, enough about the word. Sorry, but my love for words got the best of me and this is a word I love. Try it. Say it out loud right now. Look around. How many people are looking at you? They heard you say it and I bet there’s a smile on their face, right? They are either smiling because they think you are crazy, or they are smiling because the word you said affected them. I know it has affected you already. What you are feeling is delight.  It’s delightful, isn’t it?

I wonder what really gives us delight. What is it in our lives that instantly lifts our spirits and pleases us greatly? I take delight in a perfectly cooked steak. The beauty of a sunrise glistening on the water of a glassy lake as a screeching eagle soars overhead is even better. But the smile of a grandchild running to greet me with a hug is more delightful. There’s something deeply pleasing about the look on a child’s face as they smile back at me when their eyes meet mine. It is delightful when another person delights in us.

Delight is reciprocal. It’s contagious. It’s that way with people, and it’s most certainly that way with God. Did you know that God desires to delight in you? Our delight in Him always results in God delighting in us!

Isaiah 61:10  “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

The Scripture is filled with motivation for us to delight in the Lord.

• We are to delight in His salvation – “Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation.” (Psalm 35:9)
• We are to delight in His Word – “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” (Psalm 119:16)
• We are to delight in God’s commands – “…for I delight in your commands because I love them.” (Psalm 119:47)
• We are to delight in the fear of the Lord – “…and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.” (Isaiah 11:3)

And when we take delight in the Lord, He takes delight in us.

• “For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.” (Psalm 149:4)

That reminds me of my favorite verse of delight in the Bible. It’s found in the book of Zephaniah, chapter three, verse seventeen.

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

That’s delightful! Who dares let the snow or the price of gas or politics or war discourage them when the Lord Himself sings over us with delight. He has clothed us with garments of salvation and arrayed us in robes of righteousness. That’s delightful!

Pastor John