Roots are important!
This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of Rooted – Grounded in Grace (CLICK HERE)
Jeremiah 17:7-8
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Roots are vital to a plant’s survival and growth. Roots are the mechanism by which water and minerals are brought to the plant to develop the leaves and fruit. Shallow roots make the plant susceptible to the elements of wind and drought. Deep roots ensure the plant withstands the challenges of the weather.
Spiritually, how strong and deep are your roots?
Do life’s challenges create extreme stress, anxiety and fear? Or when challenges come do you stay filled with peace and confidence?
Life is going to have challenges. God desires to strengthen your spiritual roots so that your faith does not falter amidst the challenges of life.
At the heart of a spiritual tree that has strong roots is, as Jeremiah says, having a confident trust in the Lord. So, what is it about having a confident trust in the Lord that allows our spiritual tree to stand strong in times of “heat and drought”?
Faith in the Lord gives us confidence, even though we can’t see what is ahead.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Faith in the Lord gives us confidence that all that happens will be worked for our good.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.
Faith in the Lord gives us confidence that no matter what happens in this life, we know heaven is our home.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
These are just a few of the promises that the Lord gives us to grow and strengthen our roots. Of course they come from the Bible, God’s Word. This week we will explore why the Word of God is such a key component of a Christian growing strong roots to remain standing no matter what life brings your way!
Apply: Evaluate the strength of your spiritual roots. Would you consider them weak or strong…and why?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving us faith in you. I pray that you would continue to work in my heart and life to strengthen my faith and confidence in you! AMEN.
Weapons to Win! Part 2
This week’s devotions are based on Week 10 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Satan’s schemes are definitely deceptive and deviant…but the weapons the Lord gives us will overcome all that Satan can throw at us. So here’s the last four to wrap up the week and our series on Ephesians.
- Faith: 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
In the Garden of Eden, the first temptation Satan provided was one to doubt. “Did God really say…?” was the question he posed. The question created doubt that led to trusting Satan’s proposal more than God’s direction. As a result the blessing God intended Adam and Eve to enjoy was lost and the shame, guilt and challenges of living in a sinful world began. Faith is a confident trust in the Lord…even when his directions, promises, and Word don’t make sense. Faith is trusting that the Lord has our best in mind, even when it seems like life has taken a terrible turn. Faith is being confident that even what I can’t see or understand, I will always trust the Lord over the deceptive lies and doubts that Satan poses. He throws a lot of these arrows…the shield of faith extinguishes them so they fall harmless to the ground. Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
- Salvation: 17 Take the helmet of salvation
A ploy that Satan likes to use is to lead us to question if we are saved and going to go to heaven when we die. He leads us to believe we are not good enough or that God doesn’t love us enough. The helmet of salvation is the gift that God gives to secure all of our thoughts around the truth that we are saved by his grace, not our works. We are saved as a gift of God’s love, not because we have earned, deserved, or chosen it. The gift of salvation is completely God’s doing. So he guards all our thoughts with the confidence that our salvation is secure. Don’t let anything else get in your head! Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit…
- Word of God: and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Martin Luther in his hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” spoke of the power we have against Satan is this, “One little word can fell him.” All Jesus had to do against Satan was swing a verse of Scripture and Satan had no answer. Perhaps the greatest weapon to discern and diffuse any onslaught of Satan is the power of the Word of God. Know it and use it! Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
- Prayer: 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Finally, use the gift of prayer. Prayer is the gift our heavenly Father gives to us to come to him with any and all requests. Prayer asks for discernment. Prayer asks for wisdom. Prayer seeks guidance. Prayer lays the concerns of our heart before the Lord. Prayer asks for spiritual and physical protection against the evil Satan gives. Prayer is the gift that God gives to allow us to come to him at any time…before, during or after the schemes of Satan hit. Prayer is an action of trust that realizes, I can’t do this on my own, but my Father can for me. Prayer is an expression of our trust that the only reason I will be standing after the devil throws is best at me is because my heavenly Father’s power is at work to overcome him. So if you are stuck or flailing, don’t forget to go to the Lord in prayer! Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
That wraps up this series. I pray it was a blessing to you as it was to me to share the thoughts that God brought to mind as we journeyed through Ephesians. Let me close this week, this series with the final words of Paul to the Ephesians and to us:
Ephesians 6:23 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Weapons to win…Part 1
This week’s devotions are based on Week 10 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
The goal is to be the last person standing.
In Greco Roman wrestling, the winner was the contestant who was standing after throwing his opponent to the ground three times. The winner has to overcome the tactics of his opponent and stay on his feet.
Perhaps this is the picture Paul has in mind as he encourages us, “Ephesians 6:13 Therefore 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.” The one standing is the victor. For the Christian, we want to be standing, not falling for the schemes of Satan on the day of evil (which will come). (On a side note, I wonder if this picture has anything to do with the three temptations that face Christ in the desert in Matthew 4. After he threw Satan down the third time, Satan left…defeated…I digress.)
Paul then goes on to draw a picture of a Roman soldier ready for battle. We could spend time on all the pieces of armor and try to discern why its the belt of truth vs the helmet of truth…but today let’s just reflect on the descriptor of each piece of armor. For in the descriptors we have all we need to combat offensively and defensively the schemes of Satan. There are seven things God gives us to stay on our spiritual feet in the day of evil. Today, the first three:
- Truth: 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
The identity of our enemy is the “Father of lies.” The foundational component behind his schemes is deception. His ideal is when we question God’s truth and begin to replace it with our own truth. He loves to twist or leave out some of God’s truth so that it sounds good, but it is subtly leading us to believe a lie. Truth is the essence of God. He is full of grace and truth. His Word is truth. He is nothing but truth. If Satan is going to use lies and deception, we must be grounded in God’s truth. Jesus said in John 8:31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
- Righteousness: with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
Satan loves to create doubt in our identity. With regularity he gets people to think, “God will never forgive me.” We can believe that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world…except mine. As a result, Satan leads us to think we can make ourselves feel better and be of better standing before God if we just do more good things. He tricks us into thinking we can find a righteousness by our own works. The effort is futile and we will always fall short. That is why God gives us his righteousness, his perfection to cover all our sins and imperfections. There is no question of our standing before God when we wear the “breastplate of righteousness.” Satan can try to hit our heart with doubt and despair, but it won’t penetrate because our chest is covered with Christ’s righteousness…and that alone establishes our identity and standing before God. Romans 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
- The Gospel: 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
A distraction for the Christian is all the bad news in the world around us. Five seconds on the news and one can shake their head at the evils around us. Reporters sensationalize the events. Atrocities are so many. The future is made to be uncertain. All of this can leave our hearts at unrest and lack of peace. A quick litmus test to see whether Satan is at work or God’s Spirit is at work is simply this: Is my heart full of fear (satan) or full of peace (Spirit of God)? Our steps through life will encounter evil and all its ugliness and negative impact, yet the Gospel which tells us our biggest problem in life is taken care of because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus leaves our hearts at peace. That’s what the Gospel does…it brings peace wherever it goes. Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
We have four more to cover tomorrow, but I pray already you are seeing the great blessing God has given you in his truth, righteousness, and Gospel that readily can throw Satan to the ground and leave you standing firm!
Apply: Which of these three armaments from God is what you need most today? As you put on truth, righteousness, or the Gospel of peace, what begins to change about your perspective of your day?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving to me all I need to discern Satan’s tactics and knock him to the ground over and over again. Help me to find the strength, peace and assurance in the gifts of armor you give to me! AMEN.
Who is your real enemy?
This week’s devotions are based on Week 10 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Do you realize how many spiritual battles we face every day?
Preaching on the topic this past weekend has made me more aware how many interactions each day are a spiritual battle. However, I often miss what it really is and start fighting the wrong thing.
Here’s an example…a little transparency with you this morning!
I spent time entering transactions and updating our financial expenditures for the past month and found myself frustrated that we spent as much as we did. I felt myself getting upset at my family for spending on things that seemed unnecessary, car A/C repair that was needed, and upset in general at our government for allowing inflation to make energy more expensive and every trip to the grocery store north of $50 or more. I made my family, the car manufacturer, and our government my enemy in a short period of time. As a result it was their fault and they were the ones that were responsible for my frustration.
But were they? Perhaps on the surface I can make a case they were and if their behaviors would change, my emotions and feelings would change. But…the situation was far less about all of them than it was about me. What was going on wasn’t just a practical dialogue about what our monthly budget should be, it was an internal struggle that was challenging my contentment, led me to battle greed, made me aware again of basing my mood on financial issues, and much more. At the heart of the battle was Satan working to lead me away from the love and promises of God, the family I treasure, and the country I am blessed to live in.
Of course it was.
As Paul wrote to remind me and you: Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Are you fighting the right enemy?
How many times have you fought a person instead of Satan’s influence in your heart and soul?
How many times have you blamed God for what Satan is really causing?
How many times have you created unrest in your relationships because you started fighting a person instead of the root of all lies and evil?
All too often.
We will get to the weapons tomorrow…but for today remember this.
Satan and his influence is all around us. It may not always manifest in an obvious way, but we can notice when he is at work when our emotions are one of fear, discontent, anger and the result in our relationships are division and discord. If these things are happening, we are fighting the wrong enemy and losing the battle. We are fighting evil and darkness in our own hearts and in the hearts of people around us. We are living with the reality of evil and darkness around us which can lead us to despair and live in unrest.
God wants us to recognize our real enemy. For when we are aware of who the real enemy is and his tactics, we will be better able to use the armor God gives us to win the victory each and every day.
Apply: Reflect on the past 24 hours. What situations did you miss seeing who the enemy was and begin to fight against flesh and blood and miss the reality of Satan and the evil and darkness he was bringing into your heart and life?
Prayer: Lord, let your light shine through the darkness. Let your power overcome evil and let my discernment always see life through the lens of spiritual warfare. With your power, promises, and truth, let me win the victory each and every day. AMEN.
Do you know the devil’s schemes?
This week’s devotions are based on Week 10 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Have you ever stopped to think, “What are the devil’s schemes?”
Sometimes you can sense from a friend that they are “up to something” but you can’t quite figure it out until the “surprise party” happens.
Sometimes you know there is a plan going on to move you out of your job or off the team…and you find out about it too late.
Sometimes as a parent, you catch your child in the middle of creating a prank for a younger sibling and you intervene just in time to thwart the plan.
There is not a time when Satan is not scheming to get you to fall away from your connection to your heavenly Father. However, there is a lot of time that we do not carry an awareness and vigilance to understand how the devil schemes.
One of the best writings done (outside of the Scripture) to help the Christian understand the schemes of the devil is C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters. In this writing, Screwtape is a seasoned demon and temptor. He is writing to Wormwood to help him understand the Patient (the Christian) and how to go about tempting him to leave the Enemy (God). Here are a few quotes. Each one hints at one of the schemes Satan uses. Read them each a few times. Can you see how deceptive Satan is in his work to separate us from the love of Christ?
- There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human’s mind against the Enemy. He wants men to be concerned with what they do; our business is to keep them thinking about what will happen to them.
- If you can once get him to the point of thinking that ‘religion is all very well up to a point,’ you can feel quite happy about his soul. A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all- and more amusing.
- Never forget that when we are dealing with any pleasure in its healthy and normal and satisfying form, we are, in a sense, on the Enemy’s ground. I know we have won many a soul through pleasure. All the same, it is His invention, not ours. He made the pleasures: all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one. All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the pleasures which our Enemy has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden.
- Prosperity knits a man to the world. He feels that he is finding his place in it, while really it is finding its place in him.
- All extremes, except extreme devotion to the Enemy, are to be encouraged.
- Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.
The devil is not obvious in many cases, but when we understand how he schemes to deceive and trick us, we will be better able, with the Spirit’s help and the armor of God fully in place, to thwart the schemes of Satan before they bring spiritual harm to our souls.
Apply: Which of the Screwtape quotes got you thinking the most? How does Satan use this scheme in your heart?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, please build my awareness and insight into how Satan works on my heart and soul. Forgive me when I have fallen prey to his schemes. Equip and empower me with the wisdom of your Spirit and the strength of your armor to stand up against every scheme Satan throws my way. AMEN.
Note: All quotes above came from the following website: https://bookroo.com/quotes/the-screwtape-letters