Weekly Devotion: It's Not All About You

“At the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me” (Daniel 4:34, NKJV).”

Nebuchadnezzar was a great king, but like so many of us, he thought it was all about him. As a result, God humbled him in an amazing way—driving him from the palace to live with the beasts for seven years until, at last, he “lifted [his] eyes to heaven, and [his] understanding returned to [him].”

I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer to understand things from God’s point of view without first having to endure such a drastic experience. And yet, when we fail to lift our eyes to heaven and look to God for wisdom and understanding and direction, we truly are no more than beasts who go about our lives with nothing more than the desire to fill our stomachs and meet our other physical needs so we might continue to exist from one day to the next until our time on earth is done. How pitiful and purposeless an existence!

And that, of course, is exactly what God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to see. Whether a king or a pauper (or anything in between), when we fail to look to the heavens for our strength and understanding, we elevate ourselves to the position of god, and we fail every time, at everything we do.

Weekly Devotion: Wise or Foolish?

“But they, measuring themselves by themselves,”

and comparing themselves among themselves,

are not wise (2 Corinthians 10:12).”

If there is any one criterion that distinguishes us as either wise or foolish, it’s the measuring stick by which judge ourselves. When we want to excuse our own words or actions, we can always find someone else to use as a comparison: “I may do this, but so-and-so does that, which is so much worse!” And that may very well be true. But what do the Scriptures have to say about offering such excuses for our own behavior?

Second Corinthians declares that those who measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves among themselves “are not wise.” God’s wisdom is quite different—and superior—to man’s wisdom. Romans 1:22 says, “Professing to be wise, they became fools.” Though God’s Word clearly states that wisdom is not found in comparing ourselves to other flawed human beings, we often do that, don’t we? In the process, we become fools. And what is a fool, according to Psalm 14:1, but someone who says in his heart, “There is no God; [I will set my own standards].”

God’s criterion for distinguishing between the wise and foolish is how we compare ourselves and judge our own behavior. If our measuring stick is other people, we will always find someone who, in our eyes at least, is worse than we are. But if we adopt God’s standards, the only One against whom we can judge ourselves is Jesus—and He is perfect.

Weekly Devotion: Waging Spiritual Warfare

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:12-13).”

We recently observed the nine-year anniversary of September 11, 2001, a morning eerily reminiscent of December 7, 1941, a “day of infamy” that caught Americans by surprise and ended the lives of many of our citizens. Each tragic event thrust us into a war to defend our sovereignty, our families, and our futures.

I was up early that September morning. When I turned on my computer and checked my emails, the first message I saw was from my husband at work. “A plane has flown into one of the Twin Towers in New York ,” he wrote. “Turn on the news.” I did, and it wasn’t long until I watched in horror as a second plane purposely flew into the second tower. “We’re under attack,” I said aloud, as realization hit me.

I immediately dropped to my knees and began to intercede for our country in general and for those trapped in the burning towers in particular. As a believer, I knew enough to realize that though this event would no doubt precipitate a response in the physical world, my part was to wage war in the spiritual realm.

But isn’t that true every day? Thank God we don’t have 9-11 experiences on a regular basis, but not a day goes by that we aren’t under attack. We have an enemy more formidable than any who planned or executed the tragic attack on the World Trade Center , and this enemy never stops attacking. As surely as there is a God who loves us and desires His best for us, there is an enemy who works tirelessly to defeat us and keep us from stepping into God’s best. We must therefore remain vigilant all the time, never letting our guard down or relaxing in our defense of ourselves, our loved ones, or even those who would destroy us if they could and yet desperately need Jesus themselves.

May we stay focused and vigilant in fighting the enemy of our soul, even as we cling to the One who is the “Lover of our soul” and who has promised never to leave or forsake us. We do NOT fight this war alone or on our own, but shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of God’s people, relying solely and completely on the strength of our Commander-in-Chief, the LORD of Hosts.

And one more thing: Read the end of the Book often, and then celebrate God’s promise of ultimate victory!

***My three newest releases, No Greater Love, More than Conquerors, and Valeria’s Cross, as well as the Spanish edition of Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today, are now available at online venues and in stores nationwide. Red Ink coming soon!

Communicating the vision… (Hab.2:2)
www.kathimacias.com
http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com/
alandkathi@ca.rr.com

Weekly Devotion: Be Wise as Serpents and Harmless as Doves

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

It isn’t often that I address controversial subjects in this venue, but on occasion conscience requires it. This is one of those occasions.

A pastor—and, I assume, a brother in Christ—has proclaimed his intention to burn the Koran on 9/11. A second pastor—this one living in a Muslim country and most certainly a brother in Christ—has requested other believers to petition the first pastor to reconsider. Why? Because this public burning of the Koran will most certainly result in increased suffering for Christians in Muslim countries. That in itself should be enough to convince the first pastor not to go through with his plans. However, if that isn’t enough, what about the fact that it simply isn’t right?

Some years ago I served on a church staff, and we had weekly meetings to pray together and discuss various ministry issues. One day the senior pastor brought up something that several of us disagreed with (not a moral or biblical issue); one staff member voiced his disagreement aloud. The senior pastor, however, remained unchanged in his opinion. The staff member who had vocally disagreed later told me he had been ready to turn the situation into a heated debate when he sensed God telling him not to do so. The man argued silently with God, declaring that he knew he was right in his opinion. God’s Spirit then asked him a vital question: “Which is more important—to be right or to be righteous?” The staff member held his tongue.

I’ve thought about that many times, particularly lately when two issues have played predominant roles in the news. Do the supporters of the planned mosque at Ground Zero have a legal “right” to build it? Absolutely. Is it the righteous thing to do? Certainly not. Does that pastor have the legal right to burn Korans? Apparently so. Is it the righteous thing to do? I don’t believe it is.

Jesus instructed us to “be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” when dealing with a world that is antagonistic to the message of the gospel. It certainly seems that the issue of burning the Koran on 9/11 falls into that category and should be treated as such. I am praying accordingly; I hope you will consider doing the same.

***My three newest releases, No Greater Love, More than Conquerors, and Valeria’s Cross, as well as the Spanish edition of Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today, are now available at online venues and in stores nationwide. Red Ink coming soon!

Communicating the vision… (Hab.2:2)
www.kathimacias.com
http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com/
alandkathi@ca.rr.com

Weekly Devotion: Let It Be To Me According To Your Word

“And the angel…said to her, “…For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!

Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:35-38).

Mary was one special lady, wasn’t she? Imagine, being a young (teenaged) virgin engaged to be married, going about your daily routine, when suddenly an angel appears to you and announces that you are favored by God and are about to bear His Son. Stunned, Mary—a devout and practicing Jew—senses God’s presence and listens with an open heart, believing the angel’s amazing words, even as in her humanity she wonders how it can be so. When she voices her question, the angel gives her a brief answer, pulling it all together with “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Mary’s response at that point is one of the most faith-filled statements ever made: “Let it be to me according to your word.”

If we as believers learn nothing else in our earthly sojourn, we will be wise indeed. For the great truth in this angelic-human exchange over-arches any problem we will ever face.

Not enough money? Nothing is impossible with God. Therefore, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

Health failing? Nothing is impossible with God. Therefore, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

Family not walking with the Lord? Nothing is impossible with God. Therefore, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

Once-solid governments and familiar lifestyles collapsing around you? Nothing is impossible with God. Therefore, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

Weekly Devotion: Be Still and Know That I AM God

“…Be still and know that I AM God” (Psalm 46:10).

Those were the words God whispered to my heart this morning. I know them well; we all do. It’s one of the most quoted and memorized phrases in the Bible. Sadly, it is also probably one of the least understood or practiced. A word study of that brief phrase of scripture might help us understand why.

First, the command to “be still” is one of the toughest things we ever attempt to do. I used to teach pre-school, and also taught Sunday school and VBS to little ones for years. I remember my frustration one time when I just couldn’t get them to sit still and listen. An older and much wiser teacher said to me, “It’s like trying to organize a herd of earthworms, isn’t it?” I laughed, but I also realized that must be exactly the view God has of us, as we scurry and squirm in all directions, frantically trying to do and accomplish and achieve, but failing miserable at our self-imposed tasks.

Weekly Devotion: To Serve...With Love

“…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).

Have you ever spent time diligently seeking God for direction, only to receive an answer you really didn’t want to hear? Sure you have. We all have. And I will confess that, on occasion, I have tried to ignore that answer—or, at the very least, tell myself that God didn’t quite mean it the way it sounded.

And yet, if I’ve learned anything in the 32 years that I’ve known Jesus as my Savior, it’s that God says what He means, and He means what He says. So it was more than a little tough to swallow the message He gave me some months ago when I asked Him for clear direction for my work/ministry for 2006. He said—loud and clear, I’m afraid—“Somebody has to set up the chairs.”

Huh? That sounded suspiciously like a call to work behind the scenes! But I’m a writer and speaker—a pastor, for Pete’s sake! How am I supposed to fulfill my calling if no one knows who I am or hears what I have to say?