Justice for the Bruised Reeds
I don’t know about you, but I suspect that, like me, there have been many times in your life when you have felt like a bruised reed and a dimly burning wick. I suspect that there have been times when those you love and those whom you influence have felt like bruised reeds and dimly burning wicks.
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Prayers for Workers: Asking for Patience
It can be hard to wait patiently on the Lord, but when we do, God draws us near to his heart. (Inspired by Psalm 40:1-2)
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One Life-Changing Implication of Ephesians 6:12
I’m thinking about the implications of the phrase “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (6:12). This phrase does not mean that we’ll never have issues with human beings, that they won’t oppose us or hurt us. It’s not denying the reality of personal evil or systemic evil. When Paul was persecuted by Roman authorities, he faced both kinds of evil. But he understood that beneath and behind these opponents was a far greater and more pervasive opposition. The spiritual forces of evil were, in their nefarious and elusive way, acting through human agents and systems.
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One Thing is Sure: God is Sovereign
If we’re going to take seriously the spiritual battle in which we find ourselves, we need to be grounded in solid, unchanging truth. We don’t want to be making things up as we go. When it comes to spiritual realities, one thing is sure: God is sovereign. Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of Lords. Whatever might oppose him is always and ultimately subordinate to him.
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The True Struggle of Life
I will freely admit that I don’t naturally think of life in terms of spiritual warfare. In fact, sometimes the antics of Christians who engage in what they call spiritual warfare turn me off completely. But I also want to take Scripture seriously, to be guided, taught, corrected, and inspired by God’s Word. So I don’t dismiss Ephesians 6:10-20 because it doesn’t fit my natural worldview.
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Be Strong in the Lord
If there’s one main point in Ephesians 6:10-20, one truth we need to understand, one imperative we need to obey, it comes right at the start. You can’t miss it: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (6:10). Be strong “in the Lord” by relying on the One who created all things. Be strong in the Lord who saved you from death into life. Be strong by resting in God, trusting God, being filled by God, being loved by God.
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Vocational Gratitude: Consummation
The Christian narrative reminds us that God is the ultimate authority in the universe. As the first half of today’s text declares, “The Lord is King!” But what kind of power figure is this God?
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Vocational Gratitude: Redemption
As we celebrate this Advent Season, reminded again of Jesus’ coming into the world, I want to reflect on the distinctive vision and driving force behind God’s incarnation in Jesus Christ. What was the mindset that Jesus brought to his work in the world? And, what might that say to us about our work as leaders?
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Life for Leaders: Why We Do This and How You Can Help
I am also very thankful for you, for those who receive Life for Leaders. Each day we email a devotion to over 7,500 people. Of course I don’t know what happens with most of these. But I do hear from many of you over the course of the year. You let me know when a particular devotion has touched your heart, or when you have shared it with your colleagues, or used it in your classes, or emailed it to one of your children. Thanks for your encouragement. It keeps us going, day after day, week after week, year after year.
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A Prayer for New Year’s Day
Some of us will make New Year’s resolutions, promising to do better in the days ahead. And some of us might actually keep these promises . . . for a few days, anyway. But our hearts long for more than just a new year, a new date, or some new resolutions. Our world can feel so old, so caught in injustice, so wracked by violence, so wounded by poverty, so tainted by evil. But it’s not just our world that needs to be made new. We need this. We yearn for renewal in mind, heart, body, and spirit. We want to leave behind our sin and shame.
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God Works Through People of All Ages: The Case of Anna
Once again, we see that God is at work in people both young and old. If we reflect on the case of Anna, we understand that she was not in a season of life where she had many responsibilities, like caring for children or doing other work assigned to women in the first century. Anna was free to worship in the temple “night and day, fasting and praying” (Luke 2:37). Her age and life status gave her freedom that people don’t usually have earlier in life.
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God Works Through People of All Ages: The Case of Simeon
We don’t know much about Simeon, but Luke does let us know that he wasn’t some crazy man who regularly harassed people in the courts of the temple. In fact, he was “righteous,” “devout,” and filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 2:25). The Spirit had promised Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah (Luke 2:26). This comment has led interpreters to believe that Simeon was quite old and approaching death. This inference is backed up by Simeon’s own prayer, “you may now dismiss your servant in peace” (Luke 2:29). We would not expect a young man to pray this way, but rather someone who knows that his death is near.
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The Charge: Active Ministry
Everything you do matters to God, and should be considered ministry. Yes, the relationships you cultivate matter to God and are extensions of your worship. Even the jobs you have should be considered part of that “true and proper worship” that Paul refers to in Romans 12. For far too long, we Christians have lived under the guise that there are sacred actions and secular actions. This has resulted in some believers overlooking the value that God finds in work and professional settings. For us, if we have truly given our lives to Christ, all of our actions should be Christ centered. All of our motives and decisions should emanate from our progressive union to God through Christ. Whether it is showing up to church faithfully, or working hard in your professional life, everything is to be done to the glory of God.
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Do You Suffer From Insecurity?
God loves you, and you must know it. I mean it is imperative that you understand that God loves you. Not just the obedient you, or the version of you that has the ability to hold everything together. But he indeed also loves the flawed, vulnerable, indecisive you. The walk of the Christian is often filled with moments from faith to faith.
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