God's Dwelling

When King Solomon had completed construction on the most magnificent, costly and beautiful edifice Israel had ever seen, he admitted during his dedicatory prayer that their new and expansive house of worship was far too small and entirely too insignificant to contain the transcendent and all-powerful God they had gathered to praise. He rhetorically asked, “Will God really dwell on earth with men?” He quickly responded with, “The heavens, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built” (2Chron.6:18). God echoes this truth through the Prophet Isaiah some three hundred years later when he said, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me?” (Is.66:1) But what is truly amazing is his follow up comparison. While God refuses to dwell in earthly buildings, no matter how elaborate or ornate, he boldly declares that he will “dwell with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit” (57:15) and within “the one who is humble” and who “trembles at my word” (66:2). Amazingly, the transcendent all-powerful God of the universe has promised to take up residence in your life and mine as we humbly reflect on ourselves with contrition and repentance, standing at the ready to do whatever his word commands. This is a profound and unlikely biblical reality that should be the cause of our grateful rejoicing today!

-- Pastor Mike

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Fear of Man

Proverbs 29:25 says that the “fear of man will prove to be a snare.” Unfortunately, this is a trap that catches us often. While it may be hard to resist, the Bible tells us that a life constrained by the fear of  what people will think of you or may do to you, is a life destined for compromise and defeat (1Pt.3:14). Instead, the Bible consistently calls the righteous to be “as bold as a lion” (Prov.28:1). Vanquishing the fear of man can only be attained by having a proper and healthy fear of God. Jesus told us that if our fear of God is what it ought to be, we won't fear what people can do to us even if they were to take all that we have (Mt.10:28). God is our ultimate authority. He is the One to whom we will answer. In the long run, pleasing him is all that really matters. Set your sights on living for an audience of One and you will find that you’re avoiding the pain and encumbrance of Proverbs 29:25.

-- Pastor Mike

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Pain and Suffering

Like any good parent, there are times when God brings difficulty, pain and loss to the lives of his children. The biblical reasons vary, but the hurt is always real. And when those times come it is good to remember the words of Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:32-33, “Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.” Jeremiah wants his suffering countrymen to understand that their loving Father finds no pleasure in their pain. Nor is he dispassionate or aloof. He knows the pain of human hurt and he is compassionate – even when our grief is the result of our own sin (as it was for Jeremiah’s generation). We should not doubt that in time God will bring healing and restoration. It is his nature to do so. As his children, we should expect it and reach out for it in humility and with unwavering faith. In his wisdom he may make us wait for it – sometimes for months or in some cases for years – but it should be our resolve to patiently wait on his deliverance. Pain hurts, but when his purposes are accomplished, his unfailing love will be our relief and our joy.

-- Pastor Mike

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Death

It is a popular platitude for people to say that “death is simply a part of life.” But in reality nothing could be more antithetical to life than death. From a biblical perspective, death is an intrusive and disruptive enemy. The only thing “natural” about death is that all of nature has been unwillingly made subject to it. The Bible reveals that God’s creation was not initially designed to undergo physical death. Death was the penal response to the rebellion of our archetypal parents. Their sin and ours remind us of why life’s enemy is the sentence we each must bear. But thankfully Christ has come to battle our enemy for us. At his first coming he won the war. At his second coming he will depose our enemy. So instead of trying to “accept” death as a part of life, let us stand with our Redeemer who promises that together we will look back on our memories of life’s enemy and say with him that “death has been swallowed up in victory” (1Cor.15:54).

-- Pastor Mike

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

 
 

Perfection

It has been observed that our insatiable appetite for what is perfect should be a clue that this world is not our home. Who can argue with the fact that we all spend plenty of time and effort imagining and pursuing flawless realities that are always just beyond our reach? The marketing gurus don’t help. They endlessly pitch the ideal vacation, the end-all sport car, the ultimate matchmaking service and the perfect vacuum cleaner. But in the end, the world consistently delivers something less than perfect. The Bible says we were created in the image of God. And so it makes sense that, even though we are fallen people living in a fallen world, we still have an appetite for all things perfect. The good news is that because of Christ’s redemptive work one day this corrupted world will have to give way to the unmitigated perfection of the kingdom of God. There will be no more crying or dying, and no more disappointment! In the meantime, we will experience more of the same imperfect things filling our imperfect world. But take heart, Christ has overcome the world! Your desire for the flawless will one day be realized. Christ is coming and unmet expectations will be a thing of the past!

--Pastor Mike

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