Grace for the Race

In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered. (2 Chronicles 31:21)

Hezekiah knew that God would not bless half-hearted effort. So in all that he did for the glory of God, Hezekiah did it with all of his heart. If someone was writing your story today, would this be written about you? Is the effort you are giving for the glory of God and the good of others, half-hearted or whole-hearted? Remember, the choice is always yours and the results are guaranteed as Charles Spurgeon explains.

This is no unusual occurrence; it is the general rule of the moral universe that those men prosper who do their work with all their hearts, while those are almost certain to fail who go to their labor leaving half their hearts behind them. God does not give harvests to idle men except harvests of thistles, nor is He pleased to send wealth to those who will not dig in the field to find its hid treasure.   

We really need no encouragement to give a whole-hearted effort in the things God has called us to do. All we need to do is look to our Savior, who never gave less than all of His heart to everything He did. There was no half-hearted effort in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when He had done all that He came to do, He gave His heart to the entire process of crucifixion and He gave it until it beat its last and cried out, “It is finished!” Our so great salvation would not be won by a half-hearted effort. 

If you are to prosper in anything you do in life, you will have to give all your heart to it. I have learned over the years that whole-heartedness shows itself in the three P’s –

Passion – a strong feeling of enthusiasm and excitement for doing something is a mark of a whole-hearted effort.  

Perseverance – regardless of the obstacles to overcome, whole-hearted effort keeps going and going and going until the goal is reached.

Progress – the whole-hearted accomplish the most basic demand of life . . . making measurable progress in reasonable time. 

So, is your life marked by passion, perseverance, and progress? If you are giving all of your heart to all you are doing, it will be and on the other side of your whole-hearted effort will be the promised blessings of God.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. (Philippians 2:14-15)

When you hear the word “star” what comes to mind? For most people, it would be the name of someone who is famous in the world of entertainment or sports. Perhaps even in the world of politics or business. Well, I have a word of unimaginable encouragement for you today and that is – you are a STAR – one of the SAVIOR’S STARS! 

You don’t need to be a biblical scholar to know the world we live in is both dark and depraved. When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, they brought all of creation down into the depths of darkness and destruction. But in their fall into sin and rebellion, a promise was given to them that God would send a Savior who would bring light into this world and make of His people, stars that would shine His light everywhere they went. So, is this the confession of your life today? Are you shining your light in a dark world and pointing the way to the Savior?

Notice, Paul is telling the Philippians that grumbling and arguing shrouds the light God has given to His people. Grumbling and arguing are not the marks of a transformed life. It is a reminder of the old nature that still lives deep within every child of God. These are the marks of the heart that beats for the self, not the Savior. But this is not for you! 

You see, the same grace that saved you is the same grace that is currently sanctifying you. God did not save you to leave you where you are. He saved you to form in you Christ-likeness, which over time would remove the old nature of grumbling and arguing, replacing it with patience and trust in the providence of God. To be sure, some providence is painful. But God is with us in that pain and we ought not wine, grumble, or complain when it comes our way. We are to receive all providence from the loving, nail-scarred hands of our Lord Jesus Christ with the confident assurance, that we are getting exactly what we need to be all God is calling us to be. 

So, are you shining brightly as one of the SAVIOR’S STARS? What one thing would you need to change today to shine a bit more brightly? Prayerfully consider your answers to those questions because at the end of the day, you never want to be the kind of person that lights up the room when he leaves, rather than when he walked in! Remember, the stars in this life are temporal.  But the SAVIOR’S STARS are eternal and their light will never go out. May this truth encourage and comfort you today. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore  have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. (Isaiah 50:7)

The next time you go by a business with a “Help Wanted” sign out front, let it remind you of today’s word of encouragement . . . NO HELP WANTED SIGN HERE!

These words from the prophet Isaiah are the prophetic words of our Messiah who would one day give His life as a ransom for many. In verse 6 we read, “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.” And this is exactly what our Lord Jesus Christ did on our behalf. Jesus offered His back to the lash and by His stripes we are healed. The Roman officers pulled out His beard and spit in His face, all the time laughing and mocking Him. Yet, at no time did His confidence wane. He trusted in the will of His Father in heaven, and knew He would be victorious in the end. 

Did you know that the help the Father gave to the Son, is the same help the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit give to you, not only daily, but moment by moment? Think about the last time you were in need of help. Did you not get the help you needed from your Father in heaven? Perhaps it was not the help you wanted, but make no mistake, it was absolutely the help you needed. God knows what is best for you and He never gives you less than what is best. 

Remember, Jesus suffered and endured the pain and shame you shall never suffer and endure. He took your place on a cross and became sin who knew no sin. The Father poured out His wrath on His Son in your place, causing Him to cry out, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?” You will never be put to shame. You will never be forsaken. You will never be abandoned. Jesus took all of that in your place and has promised to provide you with the help you need regardless of the cost or circumstance. 

So, regardless of where this finds you today, God has promised to meet you in your deepest place of need. Set your face like flint and commit yourself fully to the plan and purpose God has given to your life knowing that what He has called you to do, He will help you get it done. With God on your side, does it really matter who or what comes up against you? With omnipotent aid at your beck and call, what obstacle is too great for you to overcome? Fear not! Doubt not!  Go forth this day in the strength and security of your Savior and remember NO HELP WANTED SIGN HERE because JESUS IS ALL THE HELP YOU WILL EVER NEED!   

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:13-14)

So, what’s in a name? In a word . . . EVERYTHING . . . when it is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Far too many in the church today have not learned this deep truth of praying continually in the name of Jesus. What this means is this: to ask in the name of Jesus is to ask according to the will of God . . . according to the character of God . . . for the glory of God. When we keep prayer in this perspective, we realize that asking for some of the things we ask for does not meet with this “cosmic” criteria. The key is keeping Jesus in view when we come before the throne of grace and petition our God for the desires of our heart.

When Jesus says, “You may ask me for anything” far too many have twisted this biblical truth, turning God into some kind of genie in a bottle. Many have taken this verse out of context and use it as some kind of magic formula for getting the selfish desires of their hearts. Make no mistake, our God will never grant any of our requests that are contrary to His nature, His will, and His glory.          

Here is the key that unlocks the door to living in the light of this biblical truth. The closer we draw near to Jesus, the more our prayers will be in line with what He wants for us. God the Father is perpetually pleased to honor the name of His Son when we are petitioning the throne of grace for things that bring honor and glory to His name. Remember, Jesus provided the greatest insight when praying to our Father in heaven – “But not my will, but thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”

So, have the prayers you have been lifting to heaven been a fragrant offering in the sight of God? Know this – if your prayers are prayed in the name of Jesus according to the character and will of God, this is your truth because those prayers will ultimately bring honor and glory to your God, while at the same time, expanding the cause of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank. (Proverbs 22:29)

Today’s word of encouragement is rooted in the following story . . . 

A man passed by a large construction site where the workers were laying brick.  He asked one of the workers, “What are you doing?” 

The man answered, “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m laying these stupid bricks.” 

Going further past the construction site, the man asked another worker, “What are you doing?”

The second worker replied, “I am making a wall.”

Further along the construction site, the passerby asked a third man, “What are you doing?”

The third man exclaimed, “I am building a magnificent cathedral to the glory of God!”

What’s the difference between the miniscule vision of the first two workers and the magnificent vision of the third worker? THE POWER OF PURPOSE! The third worker worked for something bigger than himself. He worked for the glory of God!

So, how does this apply to you right now, right where this finds you? You need to see what you are doing as something bigger than what you are doing. If you are just trying to get through each day and survive the week, you will miss the greater purpose in what you are doing. And that greater purpose is to bring ultimate glory to your God!  How? Through the pursuit of EXCELLENCE!

When you pursue excellence in every area of your life, both professionally and personally, you will not be satisfied with just getting through the day and surviving the week. Rather, you will see all that you are doing as opportunities of bringing glory to God by giving your best effort and using the gifts, talents, and abilities God has given to you in a way that demonstrates whose you are and what He has called you to do. 

Make no mistake, the POWER OF PURPOSE, will propel you above the level of simply surviving life, to thriving and succeeding for the glory of God. Don’t just lay bricks in order to simply get through the day and survive another week. Instead, resolve in your heart to build a monument for the glory of your God. This is the POWER OF PURPOSE, and it will serve you well, all the days of your life!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will touch you. ( Job 5:19)

Job has dealt with the most unimaginable horrors any man could endure. He lost his health, his wealth, and all ten of his children in a single blow. To be sure, he laments his birth, but he never stops leaning into His Lord. When Job’s three friends show up to comfort him, Eliphaz is the first to speak. And in these word’s above, we see a poetic expression “six . . . seven” which means more than many. At the deepest level, we have been given a great promise from God – regardless of how many difficulties and calamities we face, our God will repeatedly rescue us.

Job dealt with one calamity after another in rapid succession. He did not have time to process what had happened let alone recover from any of it. Yet, God was in the middle of Job’s storm and promised to rescue him over and over and over again. There is simply no limit to the resources God will send our way to help us in times of need. Regardless of the number of storms we are currently facing, divine deliverance has been promised for each and every one of them. 

We need to keep in mind that our rescue may not look exactly like we want it to look. We might be hoping for one thing, but God gives to us another thing altogether. What we can be assured of is we will be rescued in God’s way and in God’s timing. On the night Jesus was betrayed, Peter denied His Lord three times, just as Jesus said He would. Peter was down, dejected and went out and wept bitter tears of repentance. Yet, after the resurrection, Jesus rescues His beloved disciple and restores him to a place of service and Peter preaches at Pentecost and 3,000 are saved. 

So, regardless of the waves of challenge you might be facing today, your God has promised to rescue you from each and every one of them. And if this finds you in no need of rescue, praise your God . . . but prepare for the storm that is surely on the horizon. As I have said many times, there are only three positions in life – in a storm, coming out of a storm, or going into a storm. Let that truth set you free to faithfully focus on your Redeemer who is in the business of repeatedly rescuing you.   

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

PROMISES WITHOUT POWER!

“Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good. Do people make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!”  (Jeremiah 16:20)

When we hear the word “idolatry” we have a tendency to think of primitive people in remote areas of the jungle bowing down to sacred cows, stone carvings, special bushes, the sun, moon, and the stars. We pity the poor uneducated heathen who worships a god of stone, while we who are sophisticated and seemingly superior, bow down in worship to a god of gold. We have become experts of making gods out of everything.

In the 1830’s Alexis de Tocqueville made this observation regarding the state of America, “There is a strange melancholy that haunts the inhabitants . . . in the midst of their abundance.”  We live in a cultural context that believes “more” is the key that unlocks the door to happiness and contentment. More prosperity. More power. More possessions. More pleasure. The list is endless. To be sure, our contemporary culture has its own “totem poles” and “spiritual shrines.” Yet, none of this will ever satisfy us or meet us in our deepest place of need. All they can and every will be able to deliver is a POWERLESS PROMISE!

Here is the simple way of looking at our idols. There is nothing wrong or idolatrous with prosperity, power, possessions, or pleasure. Only when we take these good gifts that God gives to us and turn them into ultimate gifts, do they become bad gifts. What we need to keep in view is this: what rules the heart ultimately shapes the life. So, if we are counting on anything smaller than Jesus to find meaning, purpose, significance, contentment, or anything else that matters to us in life, we are counting on a POWERLESS PROMISE! The truth of today’s verse comes shining through – THEY ARE NOT GODS!!!

So, let me ask you, is there anything in your life right now that is more important to you than Jesus? Here is another way to put it: is there anything in your life right now, that, if you lost it, your life as you know it would be ruined? Remember, we are often blindsided by the good gifts God gives to us like family and friends when we turn them into ultimate gifts. They simply cannot bear the weight of our expectations and in the end, all comes to ruin. But there is one thing that can and His name is Jesus. 

Every promise Jesus has made He will keep. Only Jesus has promised and can make good on His promise of meeting you in your deepest place of need, regardless of what that need is. Keeping Jesus on the throne of your life will keep you in a perpetual place of promised blessing, whether in seasons of plenty or seasons of want. 

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

See, I am doing a new thing! (Isaiah 43:19)

When was the last time you ran into someone you knew and asked, “How’s it going?” To which they responded, “Same stuff . . . different day!” Now that is a response the child of God ought never give. It comes from someone who sees life from inside of a rut – which, by the way, is nothing more than a grave with both ends knocked out. But this is not for you. In our passage today we have before us is what I believe to be a word of eternal encouragement, regardless of where this finds you.

For many, the past is paralyzing, which is why I often say from the pulpit, “Learn from the past, don’t live there!” When we cannot forget and rise above the former things, we are unable to focus on the new things God intends to do in our lives. We get trapped in a painful past that is marked by unforgiveness, bitterness, betrayal, and regret. Yet, in today’s passage we find the key that unlocks the door that opens to a new thing – focusing on the faithful One who has promised to do a new thing in our lives.

Notice what God says next in the same verse, “I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19). The wilderness can stand for any desolate and lonely place we have visited in the past – mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually – and eventually we all find ourselves wandering through it. But God is telling us something that is designed to change our perspective and ultimately our predicament – “I am doing a NEW THING!” God is healing our past wounds – breaking down strongholds – shining light in our darkness.

In all my years as a pastor, perhaps the greatest “new thing” God is committed to doing in our lives is giving us a renewed living hope even when things seem utterly hopeless. That is the picture of rivers in the desert. God is in the business of doing what is impossible with man. So, what “new thing” do you need in your life right now? Personally? Professionally? Relationally? Look up and see the heavens open right before your eyes because your God is about to do a “new thing” in your life today.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

His mercies never fail. They are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Because the morning meal is designed to break the fast from the night before, it is important to begin each day with whatever “break-fast” that works for us. But, in addition to what you put into your stomach, you need to be putting God’s Word into your soul.

In our passage today we have our Faithful God offering to us a cup of “fresh-brewed” mercy every morning. What that means is regardless of how things went the day before – from storms to sin – God has set before us a meal of new mercies for each and every new day. This truth is as certain as the sun rising every day, even on those days when we cannot see it because of the clouds that are covering it.

The prophet who gave us our verse today also gave us these words, “Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17). You see, God is bigger than any battle we are facing, greater than any giant that is taunting us, and mightier than any mess we might find ourselves in. And remember this: God’s power that is available to each one of us moment by moment, is made perfect in our weakness. When God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9), He meant what He said. And that is why we need to break the fast each new morning with the Word of God.

Remember, whether the day before was just a bit burdensome or marked by bitter brokenness, today is a new day and God has new mercies waiting for you in His Word. Experience has taught me that when we break the fast each day with time in God’s Word, we are restored, renewed, recharged, and repurposed to receive whatever the day has to offer.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. (Philippians 2:14-15 – NKJV)

We all know the importance and value of light. Turn on a light in a dark room and what you could not see before is now made manifest. In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light in order to dispel the darkness. I pray today’s word of encouragement will both comfort you as the Lord’s light and challenge you to let it shine brightly before the watching world.

Knowing that we are the Lord’s light is a cosmic comfort unmatched. We are the Lord’s light by way of unwavering love, unimaginable sacrifice, and unmatched cost to our precious Savior Jesus Christ. We, who were once far off, have now been brought near “by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). But that’s not all. What comforts us must also challenge us. If we are the Lord’s lights, should we not shine so brightly that no one could come near to us without coming near to our Lord? Both the words we say and the deeds we do should shout to the world the witness of our walk with Jesus.

We must remember that we were once in darkness until someone else let their light so shine before us. We were drawn to the light by the power of the Holy Spirit and given the greatest gift the world has ever seen – eternal life in Christ. Now, as the Lord’s lights, we are to shine so that others who currently walk in darkness will be drawn to the light. Our words of light should lift others up. Our deeds of light should lead others on. Our thoughts of light should love others into the kingdom of heaven.

So, how brightly is your light shining today? Is there anything that is shrouding your light and making it difficult for others to see? Perhaps a critical or unforgiving spirit? Maybe an angry or self-righteousness disposition? We have been given light to be a light to others and I can tell you from personal experience, there is no greater joy than to know that your light has dispelled the darkness of discouragement, despair, or spiritual death in the lives of others.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!