In the previous devotional I explained how pursuing “the way of the righteous” as articulated in Psalm 1 is about a direction, not perfection. Some of you will have wondered, but what about Matthew 5:48? “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Ah yes, that statement by Jesus has really been a source … Continue reading Doesn’t God expect us to be perfect?

“For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction” (Psalm 1:6). Psalm 1 is sometimes called the “gateway to the Psalms.” As if providing a general introduction to the 149 psalms that follow, it gives us high-level wisdom about life and foregrounds a very important … Continue reading A direction, not perfection

Jesus said: “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luke 17:10). Human beings are naturally selfish. It’s something we need to guard against. It’s also something we should be frequently asking God to forgive us for: “Dear … Continue reading Godishness

After the resurrection, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. Not once, but three times.  “The third time [Jesus] said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I … Continue reading The God of second chances

We’ve been talking about learning from our mistakes and failures. In fact, when it comes to serving God, they don’t disqualify you, they educate you. Let’s consider the example of Peter. Before Jesus’ crucifixion, he denied knowing him three times. That is a very serious offense, especially in Jesus’ time of need! After the resurrection, … Continue reading Use what you learn to serve God

“We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). We all make mistakes. Do you wallow in yours, or do you learn from them?  A junior executive at IBM lost over ten million dollars in a risky venture. He was called into the office of Tom Watson Sr., the founder of IBM.  The junior executive asked, … Continue reading Learn from your mistakes

Mistakes are a part of life. You know that. I know that. But some people dwell on their mistakes—and I mean dwellllll on them—as if they are the defining factor in their lives. Consider Babe Ruth. In his day he was the home run king. He hit an amazing 714 home runs and led the … Continue reading Mistakes

In John 15:26-27 (ESV) Jesus said: “when the Helper comes [i.e. the Holy Spirit]… he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.” Jesus specifically says that in the context of hatred and persecution, the Holy Spirit will ‘bear witness’ (meaning, ‘speak the … Continue reading God can use opposition for his purposes

“…by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Susanna Petroysan and her 4-year old daughter lived in soviet Armenia. They went to visit a relative in an apartment building on December 7, 1988. After they arrived, the country was struck with a massive earthquake. They were on the fifth floor and there was no time … Continue reading Blood was the only hope

There are stories about farmers in the American Midwest who would tie ropes from their houses to their barns when a big wind storm was coming. The rope helped them find their way and not get swept away. If they were in the house and needed to check on the animals, they could do so. … Continue reading They stumble because they disobey the word