Creator Credit

Like Nebuchadnezzar strutting on the walls of Babylon (Dan.4), or Herod taking his bows in his royal robes (Ac.12), or the nine lepers thoughtlessly strolling on their merry way (Lk.17), when moderns carelessly deny God the credit for their origins or their daily blessings they cannot think that they will be exempt from the same divine response. Certainly God, above all others, deserves credit for his works. The Bible does not remember Nebuchadnezzar, Herod and the nine lepers as self-made role models, but as warnings. They are reminders that when the Creator decides to bless our lives and our world with beauty, pleasure or prosperity we, as his creatures, should always take the time to humbly praise him for being the gracious Giver. The Psalmist tells us to “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts” (Ps.105:1-2). Let’s embrace that directive, open our eyes to God’s works and boldly give him the credit for the great things he has done.

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Salt and Light

The biblical concept of “sin” has rightly been described as an aberration or deviation from the way things ought to be. Part of being “salt and light” in this world (Mt.5:13-16) is to strategically say and do the kinds of things in any given situation that help to make it more like what God intended it to be. While it is true that God will one day bring everything in the universe in line with what is absolutely right (1Cor.15:24-25), in the meantime we should seek to follow the lead of God’s Spirit to do what we can to see more of “his will” realized here on earth, like it now is in heaven (Mt.6:10). So whether it’s in our homes, offices or neighborhoods let us thoughtfully and prayerfully exert a kind of redemptive influence that will move things from the way they are to the way they ought to be. It may not always be awarded and rewarded in this life, but God will be honored and you will give those around you a foretaste of Christ’s kingdom of which we pray they will one day be a part.

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Pain and Thanksgiving

Pain hurts, and few of us would choose it if we had a choice. But often God chooses it for us, so we can experience his strong deliverance and learn to praise him more perfectly. Consider Psalm 102 (a psalm with a preface that reads “the prayer of an afflicted man”) where we discover that amid the psalmist’s pain he has learned to recognize God’s providential rescue. More than that, he is resolved to utilize God’s answer to his prayers as a springboard for liberal amounts of thanksgiving and celebration. He even directs it to be written down and memorialized so that others can join with him in worshipping God for his gracious relief. So when your stormy trial encounters those respites of peace and calm, let us follow this inspired example and share our incremental victories so that together many can rejoice in the deliverance that God is providing!

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Priorities

So often we discover that the challenge of the Christian life is to stay focused on the big picture of what’s eternally significant. While the demands of everyday life shout for our attention, it’s the issues of supreme importance that usually sit quietly in the back of our minds while we run to our next appointment. As any good time manager will suggest, the distinction between “the urgent” and “the important” has to be assessed on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the time management books fall short of accurately defining what is truly important. Jesus understood the difference. And while there were several onlookers whose expectations and demands weren’t met by Christ, at the end of his life he could confidently say to the Father, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (Jn.17:4). May God grant us the strength and the fortitude to pause often enough to see his heavenly agenda through the clutter of earth’s pressing concerns. May we strategically live our lives with our eyes fixed on divine priorities so that one day we will be able to say that we have fulfilled God’s call for our lives.

For more devotionals sermons and resources go to http://www.focalpointministries.org/