seeking spiritual success

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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devotional post # 2032

Luke 19:1-6

Luk 19:1 And after he entered it, he was passing through Jericho.

Luk 19:2 And notice this man called Zacchaeus; he was a prominent tax collector and he was rich.

Luk 19:3 He was trying to get a look at Jesus, but he could not see over the crowd, because of his small size.

Luk 19:4 So he ran to the front and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, because Jesus was about to pass that way.

Luk 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, climb down quickly, because I need to stay at your house today.”

Luk 19:6 So he climbed down quickly and welcomed him joyfully.

seeking spiritual success

Jesus had already told his disciples that with God it is even possible to save a rich man. Now, the visual demonstration. Zacchaeus climbs a tree because he wants to see Jesus. He was a short man, but it was something in addition to his small stature that made him climb that tree. He was driven to success, but realised that he was a failure in the spiritual realm. He could not tolerate being a failure in that aspect of his life.

Perhaps you are not a rich person. Maybe you sometimes feel a bit of animosity toward such persons because they are the haves and you are one of the have nots. But, remember – a rich man without Christ has come up short. The wealthy people you know just might be searching for what you have – a relationship with God through Christ. Share Jesus with them!

LORD, show us those who are seeking spiritual success.

 

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the witness difference

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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devotional post # 2031

Luke 18:40-43

Luk 18:40 So Jesus stopped and ordered the beggar to be brought to him. When the man came near, Jesus asked him,
Luk 18:41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He responded, “Lord, give me my sight back!”
Luk 18:42 Jesus said to him, “OK, receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”
Luk 18:43 And immediately he regained his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also gave praise to God.

the witness difference

You are not responsible for someone else’s relationship with God or status before him. But your experience with Jesus can be the catalyst for others to praise him. That was the case with the blind man of Jericho. Those around him were merely spectators to Jesus as he passed by. But then they saw what Jesus had done for the former blind man, and his devotion to Jesus as a follower, and these spectators became worshipers. His witness made the difference.

LORD, make us so committed to you that others are drawn to you by our testimony.

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spectacle or Saviour

Posted on May 28, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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devotional post # 2030

Luke 18:35-39

Luk 18:35 While Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.
Luk 18:36 When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was going on.
Luk 18:37 They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.”
Luk 18:38 So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, show mercy to me!”
Luk 18:39 And those who were in front shushed him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted even more, “Son of David, show mercy to me!”

spectacle or Saviour

To the crowd watching as Jesus approached Jericho, Jesus was merely a spectacle to be seen. But to the blind man, Jesus was his Saviour — his only chance to get back the sight that he lost. When you realise your desperate need for Jesus, don’t expect the sightseeing crowd to applaud your commitment. Seek him anyway.

LORD, we desperately need you. Come into our dark lives and shine.

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confusing times

Posted on May 27, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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devotional post # 2029

Luke 18:28-30

Luk 18:28 And Peter said, “Notice, we have left everything we own to follow you!”
Luk 18:29 Then Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of God’s kingdom
Luk 18:30 who will not receive many times more in this age — and in the age to come, eternal life.”

confusing times

Jesus taught his disciples faithfully about his coming rejection and suffering and death, but none of them got it. It was hidden from them. It would not have taken a great burst of creative energy to hide those things from the disciples. It was a message they did not want to hear — a truth they were not prepared for.

During our lives we may face many such times — times when our expectations are proven to be unfounded. Life will continue all around us, but we will be in shock, not knowing what to know. I am comforted that when the disciples were in such a time, the Lord did not abandon them to their ignorance, but brought them through it.

LORD, thank you for being with us when we are so confused we don’t know what to know.

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fair trade

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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devotional post # 2028

Luke 18:28-30

Luk 18:28 And Peter said, “Notice, we have left everything we own to follow you!”
Luk 18:29 Then Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of God’s kingdom
Luk 18:30 who will not receive many times more in this age — and in the age to come, eternal life.”

fair trade

On certain sad days I give myself a pity party because my ministry for Christ has taken me far away from home and family. Even when we served in the Philippines as Bible college professors, my wife and I did not feel as lonely as we often do now. After all, our kids were young, and so we always had family around.

When Peter and the other disciples decided to follow Jesus, they had to leave their families behind for long periods of time — so they probably felt that way too.

Jesus reminded them — and us — that it is always a fair trade. The benefits of serving the Lord always outweigh the sacrifices.

LORD, encourage us on those days when we can only see what we have left behind. Remind us of what we have gained.

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surrendering self-dependence

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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devotional post # 2027

Luke 18:24-27

Luk 18:24 After Jesus noticed this, he said, “It is so hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
Luk 18:25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Luk 18:26 Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?”
Luk 18:27 He responded, “What is impossible for mere humans is possible for God.”

surrendering self-dependence

Wealth tends to create an attitude of self-dependence since money can actually solve so many problems. But this self-dependence is a minus when it comes to kingdom living. Kingdom living requires God-dependence. If you have been blessed by riches, turn to God and let him provide what you cannot — even with your wealth. It is possible for God to save you and reign in your life. It will take a miracle, but he knows how to do miracles.

LORD, we surrender our self-dependence to your sovereignty.

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the sin of self-confidence

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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devotional post # 2026

Luke 18:18-23

Luk 18:18 Now a certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Luk 18:19 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
Luk 18:20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother.'”
Luk 18:21 The man responded, “Yes, I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since I was young.”
Luk 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “OK, There is one thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in the sky. Then come, follow me.”
Luk 18:23 But when the man heard this he became deeply grieved, because he was extremely wealthy.

the sin of self-confidence

“One thing you still lack” — Oh, what a haunting statement. Anyone who sincerely wants to follow Christ knows of a hundred areas where God’s perfection and goodness is lacking in his life. I sure do. But this man’s confidence was in himself, not the Lord’s grace. Contrast his attitude with the praying tax collector earlier in this chapter (18:9-14). If your relationship with God is a matter of ticking off a few extra boxes, you still don’t get it.

LORD, forgive us for the way we try to handle life. Forgive us for putting confidence in ourselves.

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messy maturity

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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devotional post # 2025

Luke 18:15-17

Luk 18:15 But they were even bringing their babies to him for him to touch. But when the disciples saw this, they began to object to those who brought them.
Luk 18:16 But Jesus called for the children, saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Luk 18:17 I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

messy maturity

The disciples at first were discouraging the people from taking their children to Jesus to be blessed. They did not think that Jesus had time in his busy schedule. Taking care of the children — they thought — should be delegated to underlings, not the Lord himself.

But Jesus used that opportunity to once again talk about the attitude of total submission required to mature into a kingdom citizen. Total dependence upon Christ is essential, and that gets messy.

LORD, mature us, no matter how messy it gets.

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true humility

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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devotional post #2024

Luke 18:9-14

Luk 18:9 Jesus also spoke to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else. This was his illustration:
Luk 18:10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of these people: violent robbers, unrighteous people, adulterers — or even like this tax collector.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’
Luk 18:13 But the tax collector stood far off and would not even look up skyward, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, please show mercy to me, I am a sinner!’
Luk 18:14 I tell you that this man went down to his home in a right relationship with God rather than the Pharisee. Because everyone who lifts himself up will be levelled off, but he who levels himself off will be lifted up.”

true humility

I’m looking for tips from this tax collector. He had a right relationship with God, and I so want that. What is hard is that both of these men would consider themselves churchgoers. So, I can’t avoid going to church — out of some false sense of humility. That would be the essence of pride. But my churchgoing does not tip the scale in my direction either. The more I do to enhance my relationship with God, the more I am tempted to be proud of my accomplishments, like this Pharisee. An attitude of repentance and unworthiness and true humility is what we all need.

LORD, in all our attempts to please you, keep us from arrogance.

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the widow’s secret weapon

Posted on May 21, 2017 by Jefferson Vann
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devotional post # 2023
Luke 18:1-8
Luk 18:1 Then Jesus told them a story to illustrate to them the fact that they should always pray and never be overwhelmed.
Luk 18:2 He said, “In a certain city there was this judge who neither feared God nor cared about people.
Luk 18:3 But there was this widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’
Luk 18:4 For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, ‘Even though I neither fear God nor care about people,
Luk 18:5 yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will grant her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her perpetual visits.'”
Luk 18:6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what that unrighteous judge is saying!
Luk 18:7 Won’t God grant justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he put off helping them just to maintain control?
Luk 18:8 I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find this kind of faithfulness present in the land?”

the widow’s secret weapon

She had no status, no wealth to bribe the judge, nothing he wanted from her. But she got justice from the judge. She had the secret weapon. She kept asking. Her faithfulness was her gift.
Jesus is looking for people who dare to be faithful over the long haul. We do not need any other edge. We have what Jesus is looking for. Staying faithful in coming to him in prayer no matter how long the wait — that is all the edge we need.
LORD, here we are again — coming to you for justice. Heal our broken land. Restore our families. Revive our churches. Heal our hearts. We come to you because only you can give us what we need.
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