Built on the Rock

Over the last few days we’ve examined some pretty incredible truths:

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), but fools despise wisdom, and detest instruction (Proverbs 1:7). With these verses in mind, how much better to take refuge in the Lord than to place ones trust in man?

We’ve learned from many places in the bible, but specifically the verses cited above that a reverential fear of God and a heart that trusts the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and gives us safety from the fear of man.

As we continue to grow, learn, and gain more knowledge of our great God and Savior, we are given wisdom and understanding. But before this honor of wisdom and understanding is bestowed, humility must come first (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Throughout the Bible we see that a trusting faith in the Lord trumps all other fears and failings, as this puts to flight the dread of what man or the world could ever do to us. This does not mean that we are spared from all difficulties or dangers in life, especially when Jesus told us that we should expect trials and tribulations (John 15:19; 2 Corinthians 5:2-6).

Yesterday we talked about the truth that His grace is sufficient as nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:31-39), so, therefore, we can gladly boast in our weaknesses, as through our weaknesses Christ’s strength is perfected (2 Corinthians 12:9).

It’s in His power that we can resist the devil. It’s under the total authority of the indwelling Holy Spirit that we even have the means to put on the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), that God Himself provides as a defense against all that seek to destroy us.

We cannot, and will not ever be able to do it alone. Sin infects every single aspect of who we are. Those who take refuge in the Lord and venerate Him with a reverential fear are able to serve Him with worshipful obedience that upholds biblical doctrine and helps us to better align our thoughts and actions with His will. We need to start trusting His unfailing and ever-faithful mercies and stop relying on man for our happiness, comfort, or joy.

John Piper puts it like this: “When tempted to flee the pressures of life, the Scriptures call us to hide ourselves in God. Only God can offer true refuge from life’s dangers and the misery of our sin.”

So today, I want to leave you with this: taking refuge in God does not always mean immediate escape from pain and suffering. God is in control, and completely and utterly undisturbed by any perceived chaos on earth. This doesn’t mean He’s not concerned about what is going on in our life, but it does mean that He’s not panicking (Psalm 2:4). God remains unshaken and eternally in power, which for us provides confidence for which we can claim refuge.

No matter what...

Few lies are as attractive, poisonous, and damaging to Christians and the Church as the claim that following God means worldly success (1 Timothy 6:3-5). We’ve talked some about the prosperity gospel that so many widely popular pastors and televangelists preach, however, Jesus’ explicit teaching was that Christians should expect hardships (John 15:19; 2 Corinthians 5:2-6). There will be hard times for all of us, and Christ knew this. When we expect hard times, we can avoid discouragement as we know that it comes with the territory (John 16:33).

Liars who teach that health, wealth, prosperity, or any other benefits are waiting for anyone who possesses “enough” faith are, simply put, unbiblical. This section in 2 Corinthians that describes Paul’s experience here is among all of Scripture’s most powerful proofs that “word of faith” and other forms of the prosperity gospel are completely and utterly false.

Here’s some background regarding what leads up to this verse. Prior verses included Paul’s extraordinary heavenly experience (2 Corinthians 12:1-3). It was in this experience/moment that Paul was provided with insights that he was not allowed to reveal to others (2 Corinthians 12:4). In order to prevent Paul from being conceited/arrogant about this insight that he gained, we see in Scripture that God sent Paul an unspecified “thorn in the flesh,” or a “stake in the flesh.” We don’t know the extent to which this verse is speaking, whether the “thorn in the flesh” was emotional, physical, or a connection to some temptation. Rather, all we know is what we’re told. We’re told that this is a man of profound faith and deep commitment to God, was stricken and cried out repeatedly for relief (2 Corinthians 12:7-8).

Paul came to realize that the purpose of this was to maintain his humility. His persistent “weakness” helped keep him from being conceited.

We see God proclaiming that His grace was fully capable of providing everything that Paul needed to endure this suffering. His power is made perfect in our weakness. When we see the word “sufficient” being used, the greek word for it is arkei (αρκεί) which when translated implies endurance, strength, or satisfaction. In 2 Corinthians 12:5, we see Paul writing that he would only boast in his weaknesses, but now in verse 9 he is adding enthusiasm to it. “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly…”

Why would Paul gladly boast about his weaknesses? Because Christ’s power becomes the most obvious in the areas where we, as believers, are weakest. The phrase “made perfect” in the verse is originally teleitai (τελείται) in the Greek, which we see mostly refers to, in this context, completion or accomplishment (literally translated means, “is done”). This means that the focus of this is on something being achieved, and not having flaws removed.

So why is this verse important? Because it reveals several incredible truths about how God works in the daily and worldly lives of...

This section of Matthew, Chapter 6:7-16, follows Jesus’ instruction about praying behind closed doors, and He is now teaching us how to pray.

We see a theme continuing here in this verse that began in the previous chapter, where Jesus emphasized that inner thoughts are as much a part of righteousness as outward actions (Matthew 5:20). This even applies to good deeds.

Selfish motivations behind good deeds undo the point of good deeds (Matthew 6:1). The same goes for prayer.

We, as Christians, are not supposed to or meant to pray with the intent to impress anybody. Doing so makes you a hypocrite (Matthew 6:5-6).

In the verse immediately preceding our Verse of the Day today, we also see that God does not approve of the pattern of mindless repeating words and phrases over and over, with the thought that you’re more likely to be heard (Matthew 6:7).

So, what does this mean for us? How do we apply this verse to our lives? We need to communicate with sincerity and humility when we pray. God doesn’t need, want, or ask for mindlessly repeated prayers. We can’t use just the right words for God to hear or understand us (Romans 8:26), as God knows what we need before we even ask.

Therefore, we can speak to Him simply, openly, and honestly. He will hear, understand, and respond (Hebrews 4:15-16) in His will (Luke 22:42).

This verse is incredibly important, as it teaches that the fear of God is foundational to true wisdom. Many other passages talk about the fear for the Lord (for example: Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 14:27; 15:33).

So to start, let’s define the word “fear” in this verse, as it could mean several things. We see in Deuteronomy 2:25 that it could refer to the terror that one feels in a frightening situation. It could also mean respect, in the way that a servant fears his master and serves him faithfully (Joshua 24:14). We also see fear meaning the reverence or awe that someone feels in the presence of greatness (Isaiah 6:5).

The fear of the Lord is the combination of all of these.

In fact, we see the Fear of the Lord being defined in several places in the Bible.

We could also define the Fear of the Lord as “the continual awareness that our heavenly Father is watching and evaluating everything we think, say, and do” (Matthew 12:36; Psalm 139:2; Jeremiah 12:3). Jesus even told each of the seven churches in Revelation 1-2, “I know your works.” Nothing escapes the attention of God. 

So, since the “fear of the Lord is foundation of wisdom,” how do we develop this fear of the Lord? First, we need to recognize God for who He is. Those who fear the Lord have a deep reverence for Him, more specifically that reverence results in a sincere commitment to obey Him.

This link between the fear of God and wisdom means that we cannot possess true wisdom if we recreate God in our own image. And this is something that has been extremely rampant in our culture today. Too many people want to “tame” God into a non-threatening nobody. We redefine the Lord as a god that makes us comfortable, permissive, and someone who just wants to bless us, answer all of our prayers by giving us exactly what we want, and is happy when we are happy (if that sounds familiar, I’m referring to the prosperity gospel specifically here).

The reality is that the Lord God Almighty is so much greater than any redefinition that anyone could possibly give Him. The fear of the Lord begins when we see Him in His majesty and power (Revelation 4:11; Job 42:1-2). In Job 38-41, the Lord shows a glimpse of His power when He describes His absolute sovereignty over everything.

The fact of the matter is this: until our hearts are in a right relationship with God, we are unable to have the “wisdom that comes from heaven” (

"The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." - Exodus 14:14

This phrase of “The LORD will fight” has been true throughout the history of Israel (1 Samuel 17:47; 2 Chronicles 14:10-11; 20:15; Psalm 24:8; Zechariah 14:3).

When reading this verse, be sure to also read the previous verse, 13, along with it. So both together read, “And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. With these two verses Moses issued three commands to the Israelites:

1. Do Not Be Afraid

2. Stand Firm

3. Be Silent (or in some translations, “Stand Still”)

“Do not be afraid…” this is what grammarians call a negative imperative. Currid tells us that this is “the strongest possible form of expressing negation in the Hebrew language.” This is important to realize the tone of the original language because it lets us know the entire context and tone in which Moses was speaking, and therefore how we can interpret and apply his same emphasis to our own lives. With this phrase being the strongest form of expressing negation, we see that Moses was not comforting the Israelites whatsoever, instead he was rebuking them. What he is telling them is true for us as well, he’s telling all to not be afraid because there is no reason to fear – for all we need to do is “stand (our) ground, quietly waiting to see what God (will) do” (Ryken).

This scripture is very much true today as well. We know from the Bible that there is a spiritual war waging (Ephesians 6:2; 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Corinthians 10:3). The Devil pursues us constantly and in every circumstance wants us to fall. Yet, like Moses told the Israelites, we needn’t run, for all we need to do is stand firm without fee and see the salvation of our God.

Consider this: the Bible is not about what you or I can do to become better people. No, the entirety of the Bible is framed around what Jesus Christ accomplished – his complete atonement for sin, which turned asides God’s wrath, and now offers this atonement through the gift of grace for our faith. It is through Jesus that we are able to enter the kingdom of Heaven and into the resurrection of life.

What do you need to do to be saved? Nothing. Jesus already did it, and to think that in some way you can earn any part of it is to lessen what Jesus did on the cross.

Once you’ve accepted Jesus, you need to stand your ground. Spiritual warfare is being constantly waged, and we’re told a similar thing in Ephesians to what the Israelites were told by Moses: “Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand…” (Ephesians 6:13).

This is far easier

This section of James, spanning verses 2-18, begins by commanding Christians to see trials in our lives as meaningful, and therefore ultimately beneficial. He wants us to see that struggles during our lives are opportunities to trust God at a deeper level. You see, the temptation that we face during trials is to trust God less. We could end up deciding that he’s not faithful to us, or compassionate during our times of pain and heartbreak. These kinds of thoughts may enter our minds: “Maybe He isn’t good, or loving, or powerful if we’re facing challenges…”

What we see in this verse, is how we choose to answer those questions/doubts about God during our worst days. He’s making it clear that blaming God for tempting us is not a valid response. 

There is an important difference between the concepts of “test” and “tempt.”

God never orchestrates events in our lives to lure us away from Himself. But, God does test people. A lot of people use the time Jesus spent in the wilderness as proof that God tempts, but that is either a misunderstanding of the Scripture or false teaching. Jesus, in the wilderness, was tested by God and tempted by Satan.

Further, it’s important to recognize that there are temptations that result from our own sinful tendencies (internal) and those coming from without sinful inclinations (external). Jesus was never tempted internally, as he was without original sin – but was tempted externally. 

As Christians, we are never guaranteed an easier life than nonbelievers. In fact, all through Scripture we see the opposite remain true. Being a friend to God means being an enemy in a fallen world (John 16:1-4). We will have trials (John 15:18-20). And undoubtedly, these trials will test our faith. But be careful to recognize that the temptation to stop trusting God during these trials is not from Him. It is only from evil. God is, by definition, good.

As you go about your day, keep this in your mind: as Christians, life is guaranteed to not be easy. We are in a fallen world, and as allies of God, we are enemies of the fallen world. God will test us. We will have trials. Look at the struggles you are facing, and ask yourself whether you have blamed God or evil or if you think He is tempting you to sin. If so, repent of such an attitude, and reflect on today’s verse.

This verse comes James 4:1-12 which builds on the end of chapter 3. In this section, James is comparing how living according to the standards of the world is adultery, as it is “cheating” on God. He is calling for Christians to quit their friendship with the world, humble themselves, repent from their sin, and receive God’s grace. God is the Lawgiver and the Judge, not man.

This verse gives us an incredible promise. If we draw near, or move closer, to God, God will respond by moving closer to us. The God of the universe, which owes us nothing, including His closeness, will do so if we draw near to Him. What an incredible act of mercy. We see the grace of God in this verse alone for him to draw near us at all.

In the sentence immediately after this, we see the word “double-minded.” We cannot serve both ourselves and God. We cannot be in the ways of the world and following God. We need to purify our hearts and cleanse our hands. For the Jewish readers of the original text, these phrases would have brought to mind ceremonial washings, with the idea to completely turn from sin.

This is what true repentance means: to turn completely from our sin, to resolve that we will serve God (and only God), and to begin again.

In today’s verse, we see Solomon continuing his teaching regarding trusting the Lord instead of our own understanding. We’re not to rely on our own wisdom. This does not mean that we are to act recklessly. This does not mean that we are to act without careful thought. This does not mean that we are to act in foolish ways. What this does mean, however, is that as humans, our wisdom falls far below that of God’s wisdom. Our own wisdom can lead to false assumptions, conclusions, and ideas. God’s wisdom leads to complete perfection and righteousness. 

Those who claim to be wise by worshipping nature instead of the creator are fools. They are heathens.

Instead, it is infinitely better to come to the Lord with reverence, trusting Him, and to turn your back on evil than to follow our own desires and inclinations. I reference this book quite often in my day-to-day life when talking to other Christians but just look at Job. He had no idea why he was suffering so greatly. But did he turn his back on God? Did he rebuke God? No. He was convinced that the Lord knew exactly what He was doing. Job knew and acknowledged that it was his responsibility (as it is ours) to reverence the Lord and reject evil. 

The context of this verse is particularly interesting today, and for what we are going over today, I felt as though we should cover a verse in the Bible that is ultimately filled with hope and comfort for believers. For the twenty verses before this, the writer of Lamentations listed all of his struggles and afflictions. We can relate to this – life is hard. It can be full of pain, difficulty, and sorrow. Yet after all of his time spent writing about his troubles and afflictions, the writer says, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.”

The Hebrew word that was used for the word “love” in this verse is “hesed.” This word in particular has the sense of loyal, committed, settled love. And this word is beautiful especially in the context of this verse, as the writer is saying that this love from God is not in any way a response to anything anyone can do.

“Hesed” love is not in response to someone’s goodness. It’s God’s choice.

It’s God’s decision, and it is settled, fixed, and final. It is a love extended from God that will never change, and is free and eternal. We should take great comfort, joy, and hope that God loves us because it is His will to love us.

Moses made it clear to the ancient Israelites that they hadn’t earned God’s love all the way back in Deuteronomy 7:7-9:

“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations…”

We are loved, and will always be loved. This love from God is not a mood, attraction, or response to anyone’s actions. Instead, it flows from a heart overflowing with longing for the good of his people.

Even though we can’t always see the path our life is meant to take, and that the hand that is guiding us and holding is hard to recognize in the moment, we are seen by God. He provides for us and is faithful. Even when we aren’t (which is the majority of our time). But, even in spite of this, God is faithful.

No matter what you are going through, I want to urge you to turn your eyes away from your own disappointments. Focus on God, draw near to Him, and look to His purpose and plan. Remember that His mercies never end – they are new each and every day.

Great is His faithfulness.

This verse comes from one of Jesus’ most well-known metaphors: the vine and the branches. Further, throughout the book of John, we see Jesus making seven statements of “I am.” This section features the seventh of these seven statements in John 15:1, 5. It’s in this section that Jesus describes several ideas on Christian perseverance, our faith, false conversion, and spiritual effectiveness. And as Jesus wraps up this metaphor, He makes another reference to loving obedience, thus transitioning to His next passage of teaching.

However today, we’re focusing on the topic of prayer, as this verse has been misconstrued, stripped from its context, and used incorrectly by false teachers (especially in those that preach prosperity gospel) to establish incorrect expectancies among Christians about the character of God. It is my desire that each and every one of you understand this verse in its correct context and meaning so that if you do hear it twisted, you can defend what is true. You can help those who don’t understand it to truly know what it means. This verse is so much more powerful than anything that we could come up with on our own. It is more comforting than any twisting of its original meaning. So before we begin, let’s talk briefly about how this gets twisted: this verse does not mean that God will give you every earthly desire that you pray for. Yet some people out there teach that if we exercise enough faith, we can compel God to make us prosperous, healthy, and have many material possessions. Look closely at what I’m saying: some teach that if we exercise enough faith, we can tell God what His will is. We can compel Him to give us what we want. So, as some teach, if you continue to suffer from afflictions or poverty, you must not have enough faith. I hope that you see how absolutely backward from scripture this is.

I say all of this not to confuse you, but to make you aware of what is being taught by some, and today we’re going to look at what the Bible actually says about it.

It’s in this verse that Jesus gives us two basic conditions regarding answered prayer:

“If you abide in me.” – We are not the Vine. Jesus is. Apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). This concept of “abiding in” Him refers to those who are truly connected to the True Vine, and therefore bear spiritual fruit as a result (John 15:1-6). So what does it mean to be connected to the True Vine? Simply put, it means we rely on Jesus for all of life. It’s a joyful and continual relationship with Jesus that is marked by dependence, trust, and obedience.

“…and my words abide in you.” – Jesus tells us in this second line that not only does He want us to abide in Him, but that He wants His words to abide in us. This doesn’t necessarily just mean memorizing Bible verses, but is pointing to a responsive obedience to Jesus and His revelation of Himself (the Bible). We must learn to love His Word by reading, studying, meditating, and savoring it.

But don’t let it end there. Take this desire and relationship with Jesus to prayer.

When we know His words and His words abide in us, our desires and character begin to shift towards God’s will. A branch receives what it needs from the vine.

“So by these two conditions – staying in Jesus and having Jesus’ words stay in us – he shapes our desires and our thoughts through the Holy Spirit so that our wishes and his are increasingly the same.” – Jon Bloom.

It’s through the words of Jesus abiding in us, that we are prepared