The Joy of Glory

Discovering endless joy in the boundless glory of God…

Tag: grace

February 28, 2015

Lent Devotional: Psalm 12

Psalm 12 (click here)
The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. You, O LORD, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man. (Psalm 12:6-8)

Reflection
Do we believe the promises of God? Do we really?

I find myself questioning all the time… wrestling with… fighting the fight of faith… fighting to believe! This has been a fight since the garden. Our first parents were deceived when Satan was able to get them to doubt the Word of God… the enemies tactics have not changed.

He chips away at our confidence in God’s Word by making all our surrounding circumstances appear to contradict what God has said. This leads to our questioning… and questioning is not a bad thing in and of itself. Fighting to believe is a good thing and is encouraged all over the Bible.

“Fight the good fight of the faith.” 1 Timothy 6:12

Our questioning and wrestling is not a bad thing when we are asking the Lord to fight with us for faith. Our questioning and wrestling become problematic when we join hands with the enemy to fight against the Lord and against faith.

In Psalm 12, the psalmist fights by reminding himself of the nature of the Lord’s Word… the purity of his promises. It is only in knowing that this God and his promises are fighting for him that he can face the wicked prowling on every side.

Fight the fight of faith, but not against the Lord…not against the only one who can sustain your faith. No. Fight, empowered by the Lord, fight to trust in his Word so that we may defeat unbelief by the power he provides!

“Now to HIM who is able TO KEEP YOU from stumbling and TO PRESENT YOU blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 24-25

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

Leave a comment
February 24, 2015

Lent Devotional: Judges 2:11-19

Judges 2:11-19 (click here)
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.

So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them.

Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. (Judges 2:11, 14, and 16-17)

Reflection
So quickly…so quickly we turn from the Lord.

The people of Israel had not been in the Promised Land long at all before they began turning from the Lord to serve the gods of those who had inhabited the land before them. Yet, the speed of their unfaithfulness is not the truly amazing thing. What is amazing is the speed of God’s faithfulness.

So quickly…so quickly we receive grace from the Lord.

Yes, the people of Israel experienced God’s just judgment as he turned them over to plunderers. But even in this he was being faithful to his Word, for he had promised this very response to such rebellion.

Yet, he never abandoned his people. He graciously raised up judges, warriors, saviors for this rebellious undeserving people. They would continue to quickly turn from the Lord and he would continue to quickly show grace.

This is our story…is it not? Oh how quickly we turn from the Lord, and yes, as his children we may experience his good, faithful disciplining hand…but even that is a great grace! Oh how quickly we receive grace from the Lord through the savior he has raised up for us…through Jesus.

We may be quick to turn from the Lord…but the Lord is quicker to turn to us in grace.

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

Leave a comment
February 23, 2015

Lent Devotional: Joshua 9:1-27

Joshua 9:1-27 (click here)
Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us?

They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. (Joshua 9:15, 22, 24-26)

Reflection
This is one of the more interesting stories in the Old Testament, and it really doesn’t get that much attention because people don’t know what to make of it.

God had commissioned his people to take the land of Canaan. They were not to make peace with any of the lands inhabitants for they were all falling under the just judgment of God for their sin.

However, the Gibeonites deceived the people of Israel into thinking they lived far away. So, Israel made a covenant with Gibeon. They soon discovered the dishonesty of the Gibeonites, but remained true to the covenant they had made.

Covenant is the key.

Grace was extended to the Gibeonites through a covenant. The Gibeonites certainly didn’t deserve it… nor had they earned it. In fact, they were deceivers, liars, and tricksters. Why should Israel be bound to keep it’s word with such people?

Because it was a covenant and there was supposed to be no stronger promise than that.

God’s grace toward us in Jesus is known as the new covenant. It is a promise of God’s unmerited favor toward us, not because of us, but because of Jesus.

We certainly don’t deserve such grace… nor have we earned it. In fact, we could be called deceivers, liars, tricksters, and many other applicable things. Why should God be bound to keep his word with such people?

Because his grace comes to us as a covenant through Christ… and there is no stronger promise than that.

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

Leave a comment