Deuteronomy 10:17-19 (NLT)

17 “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. 18 He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. 19 So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.

Explanation:

This scripture is from Moses’s second address to the children of Israel. He is trying to prepare them not to repeat their parents’ faithless wandering, but to instead obey God and inhabit the promised land. He is giving them clear instruction. The first thing in our passage today is the re-stated fact that our God is THE God. He is God over all, and He is just. He does not show partiality. As His children, neither should we.

The God who created the solar system cares deeply about the marginalized. Widows and orphans are not only a priority, they are ensured. He ensures that they receive justice. They matter. He also loves the displaced one who is in a foreign country, at a distance from his native land, and destitute of friends. God in His providence takes care of the marginalized, and expresses His love and kindness to them by giving them the necessities of life.

Verse 19 is the punchline. This is going to happen through YOU. ME. US. Not Angels. Not a parachute dropped from heaven. Not another government social system. US.

Application:

1. “I will do something” always solves more problems than “something must be done.”

2. God has clearly stated His thoughts over and over for the oppressed and disparaged, yet many believers refuse to make spiritual eye contact with this issue. If you fall into that category, what part of your heart does this bounce off? Why do you think you don’t let it land and grow in your heart? Are you influenced by things other than scripture?

3. “God helps those who help themselves” is not scripture. Instead, the Bible says in I Timothy 6:18 to use your money to do good. Be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.

4. In caring for orphans, widows and immigrants, God tells you what to do and love tells you how. God IS love, so if caring for others is a struggle, the solution is more of Him.

5. You don’t have to save the world, but you can save one.

6. Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.

7. David proclaimed that he would not give God something that cost him nothing. Giving, fighting for, speaking up, helping, sharing, or welcoming in, will cost you something. In return, you will gain the joy of being someone God can pour through. Go for it! It is so rewarding!

Prayer Prompt:

Lord, help me see through Your eyes today. Show me the situation where I can make a difference. I need Your Holy Spirit to guide me where I can speak up in defense of, where I can provide support for, where I can serve someone, or what I can buy for someone. Lead me to the place where I can make a difference. May I wholeheartedly live out Your command to love and treat others as I would want to be treated (Matthew 7:12). I ask this in Jesus’s powerful name.

Devo Plus:

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25 NLT)

Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (Proverbs 14:31 NIV)

And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: This is what the Lord Almighty said: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.” (Zechariah 7:8-10 NIV)

The Lord’s been speaking a call to action to my heart these past couple of months. A call to stand up, shake off the ashes the world would have us sit in, and open my eyes to what He is doing in our midst…not just in current events, but in this course of time. You see, eschatology is our word for the biblical study of “the end of time.” We often turn to the book of Revelation, but biblically, “end times” started when Jesus came to earth, and it will end when He returns. This time we’re living in…it IS the end times, and the beautiful, humbling part is that God has seen fit to have you and me be a player in it. What we do with our lives right now is important and powerful. Jesus’s call to us has always been for us open our eyes to see what He’s doing and to have ears that would listen. And if we’ll listen, the Bible calls us to rise up! Shake off the mourning of our current circumstances and realize the part we’re called to play in His big picture, which matters more than the picture we’ve painted for ourselves. Like the Apostle Paul says, God’s plan is so much greater than our current sufferings (Romans 8:18). We have the most important thing to offer the world: the hope of a life redeemed by Jesus.

Acts 16:31 tells us how to live out this call: to believe in the Lord Jesus and we will be saved. “Believe” in the original Greek means “to put one’s faith in, and trust, with an implication that actions will follow.” Our rubber has to hit the road to really follow Christ. It’s not enough to just know of Him, we have to know Him. To know Him, we have to live in His presence, and then we have to get up, walk in His leading, and fight for the kingdom! How do we fight? Not with swords of steel and our fists, but by taking love and hope and truth to “the least of these” (Ephesians 6:11, Matthew 25:40). If we have been impacted by the life of Christ, it should compel us to go out and do good to others. When we do good to others, we are stepping on to the battle field of these end times. Instead of cowering and tending our wounds, we are picking up our spiritual swords and taking the fight to the real enemy. We push back the darkness and gain the ground that belongs to God’s kingdom. That is what Christ came to do, to take back what the enemy stole in the beginning, and to deliver blow after blow to the principalities of darkness, the deadliest blow being His resurrection. And that is the call He has left on your life! What a phenomenally humbling and exciting thing: to follow in His footsteps, in His victory. Now it’s up us to walk out, in obedience, the victory He left for us. He has full confidence that through the power of His spirit, connected to Him, we can continue to take back His ground until he returns (John 14:12-14).

We may not be meeting together in a building right now, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t meeting with you. Let’s not become an atrophied body. Wake up! Living out the heart of the Father is spelled out, and whether we like it or not, mostly rests on our choice to get over ourselves. And our “religion” should be “to look after the fatherless and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27 ESV). The word “fatherless” in this verse means not just those without a dad, but those who are comfortless...those without comforters. We are to comfort those who need it, whether it’s our literal neighbor, the guy on the street we don’t want to bother with, the girl who’s the polar opposite of us, the economically different, the stranger, the down and out, or the person we can’t stand... everyone. ANYONE who needs comfort. And what better comfort is there than the good news of Jesus’s forgiveness? There is no better hope. We push back the darkness with this truth. We fight the good fight, we take back the kingdom when we CHOOSE to put aside our preferences, our comfort, our judgments, our opinions, and DO what Christ has asked: seek justice, love kindness, walk humbly as a soldier with a rank we didn’t earn, but are forever grateful for. Rise up friends, and fight the good fight!

James 1:27-2:7 (ERV)

The worship that God wants is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help and keeping yourself free from the world’s evil influence.

This is the kind of worship that God accepts as pure and good. My dear brothers and sisters, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So don’t treat some people better than others. Suppose someone comes into your meeting wearing very nice clothes and a gold ring. At the same time a poor person comes in wearing old, dirty clothes. You show special attention to the person wearing nice clothes. You say, “Sit here in this good seat.” But you say to the poor person, “Stand there!” or “Sit on the floor by our feet!” Doesn’t this show that you think some people are more important than others? You set yourselves up as judges—judges who make bad decisions. Listen, my dear brothers and sisters. God chose the poor people in the world to be rich in faith. He chose them to receive the kingdom God promised to those who love him. But you show no respect to those who are poor. And you know that the rich are the ones who always try to control your lives. And they are the ones who take you to court. And the rich are the ones who insult the wonderful name of Christ, the name by which you are known.

Explanation:

In this passage, James is very clear about the dangers of playing favorites. Have you ever looked at someone and mentally classified them as “better” than you or “worse” than you? When I read this passage, it reminds me of how easy it is still today to separate people into different groups. Worse yet, it reminds me how often we gravitate to that group of “better” people because their lifestyle may seem attractive to us. When this mindset creeps in, we must be very careful. In fact, James reminds us that in his day, the wealthy people were most often the ones who were insulting the name of Jesus. Why then, would we put them on a pedestal?

During His time on earth, Jesus worked very hard to break down the walls that culture had created: Jew vs. Gentile, rich vs. poor, free vs. slave, etc. James tells us that our worship and witness should be free of these barriers as well. When we value one person’s “worth” over another based on their appearance, we are weighing their value based on riches. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God reminds us that His focus is not on our outward appearance, it is on the heart. Our desire should be to look at others through that same lens, and not according to cultural standards.

Application:

1. Have you ever “played favorites” when evaluating a group of people or a potential new friend? How does this scripture speak to you about the danger of doing so?

2. Culture tells us that wealth is a “status symbol,” as it was even in biblical times. Why then, do you think God chose for Jesus to be born to parents who were very poor?

3. How can you apply this scripture in your daily life?

Prayer Prompt:

Ask God to reveal the areas in your life where favoritism has been destructive to you. Ask Him to open your heart and give you opportunities to see others through His lens, and not through the eyes of cultural standards.

Devo Plus:

Here are a few additional scriptures that reference favoritism: 1 Timothy 5:21, Acts 10:34-35, Job 34:19

James 2:14-17 (ESV)

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Explanation:

If God has truly transformed and changed our lives, then the way we live should show it. Yes, it is true that works are not what cause us to receive salvation, but when we have experienced the resurrected Christ, it should cause us to live differently. Once we recognize the sacrifice of Jesus and what it means to our lives, we should want to live as He did. We should be compelled to love like Jesus did, to serve others like Jesus. Good works come with the package.

When I look at the life of Jesus, He fed the hungry, He cared for the sick, He brought comfort to the hurting, He celebrated with those who were rejoicing. Faith put into action is important. Others will know we are followers of Christ by the way we live our lives. Is your life worth imitating by the good works you do? Let’s put our faith into action today, and be an example for the rest of the world.

Application:

1. Why are good works an important part of the Christian walk?

2. What do you need to change today to live a life worth imitating, a life that includes good works?

3. How are you going to serve and love others with your “good works” this week?

Prayer Prompt:

God, we are so thankful that our salvation is found in You and You alone. But we want to go deeper. We want our faith to be put into action. We want others to know You by the way we live our lives. Help us to do good, to care for others, to lend a helping hand. God, we want to live for You, to be people who look like Jesus. Lead us today. Show us who we can take care of, and how we can live a life worth imitating. Thank You for Your leading and guiding. In Your Mighty Name we pray, amen.

Devo Plus:

We have a great opportunity in our current season to put this into practice, to do good and kind things for others. Take some time today and pray, asking God to give you wisdom and direction. Ask Him to show you someone who needs encouragement, help, or care…and then go do something to help that individual or individuals. And don’t forget to give God all the glory.

Amos 5:11-12; 21-24 (ESV)

Therefore, because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them, you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins—you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate.

“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Explanation:

In sports and athletics, there is a phrase that is occasionally used to describe an individual or a team that will compete, but lacks any passion behind what they are doing. The phrase is, “just going through the motions.” This is commonly seen as a negative attribute, because an individual or a team may be present and doing the actions of whatever the sport requires, but there is a lack of care or investment in trying to achieve the ultimate goal of winning.

This sort of attitude doesn’t just apply to sports, though. There are many areas in life where we can find ourselves going through the motions. This can happen with our job, our relationships, really anything. This can especially be true of our faith. We may feel obligated because of the pressure of our peers or environment. We may want to always present ourselves as someone who has it all together, so we might pretend our way through something. It may be a situation, like we read about today, where we lack character, and on the outside we are showing ourselves to be righteous, yet our hearts are far from that. In most cases, a “tree is known by its fruit,” as Jesus would say. We can often recognize when someone is going through the motions, but we are not always able to see the real picture.

However, God cannot be fooled. He sees right through all of it, straight to the true heart of man. He sees whether or not our actions are genuine, whether our worship or fruit is pure. In Amos, we read that God is quick to call out someone who follows Him and operates this way, because if it is not addressed, it can lead to devastating damage. We must be vigilant to open our hearts to God and let Him speak to the true nature of our hearts. It is in this humble state where God can lead us to discover necessary changes we need to make, in order to truly glorify Him in everything we do.

Application:

1. Describe a time when you have found yourself to be “going through the motions.”

2. Have you ever seen this in your faith?

3. Why is it so important to remember that God can see man’s heart?

4. How can refusing to address the impurities of your heart lead to further damage to you and others?

Prayer Prompt:

God, I know You can see into my heart. I need not only Your forgiveness for any damage I have caused by walking with an impure heart, but also the grace to move forward in righteousness. Thank You for being a God who stands for what is good, convicts us to do the same, and empowers us to change when we need to.

Devo Plus:

Read Jeremiah 17:9-10. How can a “sick” heart lead us to produce bad fruit in our lives?

James 1:22-25 (ESV)

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Explanation:

In this passage, James is telling us something we can all relate to. We don’t look at ourselves in the mirror, walk away, and forget what we look like. Instead, we all have studied our faces. We know where the wrinkles are, if our eyebrows are even, and where that pimple seemed to pop up. We all know our own reflections and faces well.

The same should be true of God’s Word. It does us no good to read the Word of God but not allow it to change our lives. We can’t simply be hearers or readers of the Word. We need to also be doers, allowing the Word of God to challenge us, change us, and cause a stirring in our spirits. Once we hear the Word of God and are challenged by it, our lives should look different as we walk out in obedience.

Application:

1. How has the Word of God changed your life?

2. Have you ever read the Word of God and been challenged, but not acted on it? Why or why not?

3. Why is it so important not just to read the Word of God, but to allow it to change our lives?

4. What steps will you take today to allow God’s Word to be the true authority in your life?

Prayer Prompt:

God, we are so thankful that You have given us Your truth and Your Word in the scripture. May we not be a people who read it and don’t do anything about it, but rather, may we be a people who are affected by it, who are changed by it. May Your Word challenge us and cause us to make changes. May it be our constant tool on how to act, how to live, and how to respond to life. We know by being obedient to Your Word, we will draw closer to You. May Your Word speak to us, and cause us to change and become more like You. We love You, Jesus. Amen.

Devo Plus:

Check out 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Deuteronomy 12:32, and Psalm 119:11 to be reminded of the importance of scripture in your life.

Romans 8:5-9 (ESV)

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

Explanation:

Paul writes these verses to the Roman church, describing two sets of minds, one of the flesh and one of the Spirit. He tells them that a mind set on the flesh, or worldly desires, will lead to death. This brings hostility and insubordination toward God, and cannot please Him. But a mind set on the Spirit will lead to life and peace.

Do your thoughts strive to know God? Your thoughts relate to your actions. So, what do your actions say about you? What does a life lived for the Spirit look like? God gives us these things to help us set our minds on Him:

-The Holy Bible, so we can study His Word and know the truth

-Praise for worshiping Him

-Prayer, a way to communicate with God and be in His presence

-Godly relationships (purposed relationships such as the Tree Church connect groups http://thetree.church/ministries/groups/)

-Opportunities to honor God by serving Him through the church

-Tithing, the opportunity to take a step of faith by giving

In verse 9, Paul makes it clear that “the Spirit of God dwells in” every believer. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can all live a transformed life.

Application:

1. Can you identify negative thoughts that lead you away from God?

2. Do you have an eternal perspective?

3. How is the Holy Spirit convicting you through your thoughts and feelings today?

Prayer Prompt:

God, help me to set my mind on You. Show me where my thoughts are leading me away from You and the life You want me to live. Holy Spirit, thank You for dwelling within me and empowering me to live a transformed life. Amen.

Devo Plus:

The story of Josiah can be found in 2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35.

For more information on the fruit of the Spirit, check out Galatians 5:22-23.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV)

to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Explanation:

These verses are from the letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, urging the congregation not to go back to their old ways of doing things. Paul knows that humans have a sin nature, and he doesn’t want them to revert back to that way of thinking. He refers to their old ways as the “old self” and a “former manner of life.” Paul reminds them that they are “renewed” by the truth of knowing Jesus’s life, teachings, and resurrection. They should be different than people who aren’t in a relationship with God (Ephesians 4:17). Once they know the truth of who Jesus is, that knowledge should change all aspects of their lives.

The same is true for us. When we hear, believe, and put our trust in Jesus, we are a new creation (“anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17). We have a “new self,” so we act and look different to the world around us. This can be referred to as our walk with God. It is an always-evolving process, where we learn to listen and talk to our heavenly Father. Our faith should grow through these experiences and encounters we have with God. In this spiritual walk, the Holy Spirit will direct our decision-making when we seek Him for guidance in our lives. He will always remind us of the Word of God when we find ourselves needing help.

Application:

1. Do you find it easy to go back to your “old self,” your old way of doing things, when times are difficult? If so, what makes you go back to the “old self”? Are you able to release those difficult situations to God and allow Him to help you through them?

2. How has God changed your life? (E.g., actions, language, thinking, attitude, behavior)

3. Have you allowed some quiet time to listen to the Holy Spirit? If not, what are some things you can do to create some time to be with Him?

4. Learning to change our behaviors can be difficult, especially if they are life-long habits, but start with small things you can change right now. Then pray and ask God to help you with some of the bigger issues of your “former life.”

Prayer Prompt:

Heavenly Father, You are so worthy to be praised. What an awesome God You are! Help me today to spend time with You, and listen to You when You are speaking to me. When things arise that are difficult, let my first reaction be to come to You in prayer. Show me the things I need to change in my life, and guide me in this walk with You. Thank You for loving me and wanting to be in a relationship with me. Amen.

Devo Plus:

Ask God to show you the old self, or old ways, that He wants you to change. Then take some time today with God, through listening to worship music, reading your Bible, and praying.

YouTube or download the song Lord, I need You by Matt Maher, and worship God!

During this quarantine, I’ve been able to witness spring blooming. We live in a neighborhood with lots of trees, and it’s been beautiful to watch the trees change over the last few months. Many have gone from leafless, stark trees to trees with little buds, then to flowering trees, and now most of the trees around have branches that are covered in green leaves. When I look out our windows, I am seeing so much green and I love it!

I have to admit, there have been many springs where all of a sudden it feels like the trees go from being bare to being covered in leaves overnight. I’ve even been frustrated at myself for missing/not paying attention to the transition of winter to spring. Not this spring! While I haven’t loved everything about quarantine, I have really enjoyed how it’s slowed my pace down and allowed me to “see” more things in the world around me and in my own life. Watching the trees bloom has reminded me that spring doesn’t happen “overnight.” There are many little changes that happen in order for those bare trees to become green-covered trees.

Sometimes (many times if I’m honest), I want drastic changes (for the better) in my life to come overnight. I want to develop better habits, develop a better character trait, or break a habit…and I’d like to be that way by the time I wake up in the morning. I’m continuing to learn that big changes don’t usually happen overnight. It’s usually the little changes that happen gradually that add up to big changes over time. I’m being challenged through sermons I’m hearing, Bible studies I’m participating in, devotions I’m reading and listening to, books I’m reading, and friends around me that I can set small goals which will bring big changes. These goals only matter if they are what God is asking and directing me to do. When I’m listening to God and allowing Him to guide me, I have to trust that He will give me what I need to change and become more like Him. Change is a process! Those beautiful green trees didn’t get that way overnight.

What changes is God asking you to make in your life? What habits is God wanting to develop in you? What habits is God wanting you to break in your life? What are some small steps you can start taking to lead you to those big changes? I encourage you to take some time this week to set some goals for your life, and then chart out some small steps that will lead you to those goals. Tell a friend about your goals and your process to get there, so they can encourage you along the way. I’m praying for you!

Colossians 3:1-10; 12-17 (ESV)

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Explanation:

In Colossians, Paul is trying to get the church to recognize that life in Christ is different than life outside of Him. The lives of those who do not follow Christ are governed by their own desires, and the lives of those who do follow Christ are determined by the Spirit and His desires.

But Paul doesn’t start at behavior. He starts where people set their minds. Paul knows that thoughts produce desires, and desires determine behaviors. These two contrasting paths start at what the mind sets as the focus or aim of its time and energy. Paul says we need to think about Christ: His example, who He is, what He has done for us, the depth of His love for us. This prepares us to put away the thoughts that naturally arise in us. As we think, so we desire, and so we behave.

Application:

1. What is one thing that stands out to you in today’s passage?

2. Would you say that Christ occupies the majority of your thought life? Do you take time to think about Him and what He says to us on a regular basis?

3. Do you actively put away (stop thinking about) the things that lead you away from Christ?

4. What is one area of your thoughts you know you need to put away?

5. What are you going to replace it with?

Prayer Prompt:

Jesus, I want to follow after You. And I know that how I think changes how I live. I want to set my mind on You so I can love You more, but also because I know that meditating on You and Your ways is the only way I will ever become more like You. I know also that I need the help of Your Spirit to lead me in this. So please give me the strength, courage, and know-how to keep my mind on You. Amen.

Devo Plus:

Read Philippians 4:8-9, and write down two ways you are going to actively change how you think.